


Two Brothers

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: Carry On, Wayward Son [3]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Some Lucifer Whump, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:58:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7212520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The archangel Michael comes to Los Angeles to either send Lucifer back to Hell or kill him, and Chloe finally finds out Lucifer is the Devil.</p>
<p>Sequel to "The Morning Star."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ScooterThyme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScooterThyme/gifts).



> A big thank you to everyone who read "The Morning Star" and encouraged me to keep writing about this Lucifer and Chloe! I really appreciate all of your wonderful comments! I hope that you will enjoy this installment as much as you did the last.
> 
> A super-huge THANK YOU!!! to the best beta in the world, ScooterThyme. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You made this tale so much better with your input and editing! :D This work is dedicated to you! Thank you!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: All characters except for Michael (he's my creation) are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice.

 

 

Hell was a thoroughly depressing realm, and not a place where angels cared to tread.  It was always hot, with a desert wind that continuously howled through its cavernous landscape.  The wails of millions of tortured souls could be heard just above the wind, adding to the mournful sound.   There was no greenery anywhere -- just infinite corridors of stone cells and rock.

And yet, if the denizens had glanced up, they would have seen an angel fly through the sky of Hell.  There was a divine glow about him -- his father’s Grace protected him from the hot flames of entry into the atmosphere.  Straight like an arrow he flew, and with purpose.  

Landing agilely in front of one particular cell, he dusted himself off.  He was the tallest of all the angels, with blonde hair so light that it was almost white, and eyes so clear and light blue they resembled gemstones.  Big and hulking, he had nothing but large muscles everywhere, like a bodybuilder.  He tapped on the door to the cell.

“What do you want?” a woman’s voice asked.

“I see Lucifer has locked you back up,” the angel said.  There was a malicious smile on his face, but his voice conveyed nothing but sympathy.

“Michael.”

“Hello, Mother.”  The archangel leaned against the door.  “How does it feel to be back home?”

The Queen of Heaven spit curses at her son.  “What do you want, you insufferable bastard?”

“Now, now, is that any way to talk to your favorite son?” Michael asked.  “And here I thought you would be happy to see me.”

“You’re not my favorite, but you can be if you let me out,” Asherah cajoled.

“You know as well as I do that I can’t do that,” he replied.  “But perhaps we can work together to our mutual benefit.”

There was a long pause, then: “What do you want?”

“Aren’t you angry with Lucifer for locking you up again?”

“Yes....”

“Wouldn’t you like a little revenge?  A little payback for what he’s done to you?”

“I’m listening.”

Michael grinned.  “Father’s sending me after Lucifer, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him.  I need to know his weak points.  Tell them to me.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“I’ll either kill him or send him back here a broken angel.”

He could practically hear the gears in her head turning.  Finally, she said, “He only has one weakness – a human he’s in love with.  Her name is Chloe Decker....”


	2. The Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A great big thank you to the best beta in the world, ScooterThyme! I am so lucky to have you help me with this! You're the BEST!!

 

 

It was another beautiful morning at Corona Del Mar State Beach, and the sun shone in a blaze of glory.  The wind had started blowing from the northeast, an offshore flow filled with heat from the desert.  It was going to be a windy day.  There were not too many people at the beach; on a weekend it would have been packed, but it was a weekday and still early.

“So when are we going to have sex?”

Chloe rolled her eyes as she and Lucifer walked from the far end of the sea wall toward the cove ahead.  He had been asking that of her every day since he had returned from... well, wherever he had been.  Hell, he kept insisting.  Same old Lucifer, she thought.  Apparently nothing had changed while he was away at... Hell.  Or wherever.

“Never, at this rate.  Really, Lucifer?  I thought we had established that we are friends.  Friends just don’t have sex for no reason,” she said.

Lucifer was taken aback.  “My dear detective, friends have sex all the time!”

“Yeah, well not this friend.  Why do you suddenly want to jump my bones?  I mean, you did before, but it seemed like things cooled off for a while.”

Lucifer frowned.  “Well, yes, but that was before.”

Chloe lifted an eyebrow at him.  “Before what?”

“Before I went to Hell.”

She laughed and shook her head, but Lucifer was completely serious.  He still couldn’t understand some things, one of them being the detective.  He had discovered he was in love with her during his last battle with his mother, Asherah, and it confused him.  He wanted to be near Chloe always, to please her, to protect her....  But she looked at him like a friend.  A _friend_.  Surely that word was the kiss of death...!

It made him want to hit something.  He had all of these... these crazy emotions that ate at him all the time, and he didn’t know how to handle them.  They raised him up to dizzying heights, then threw him down into despair, then tossed him back up again.  Lucifer hated the roller coaster.  He had told Chloe they would take it slow, but when it came right down to it, he really didn’t know how.  Asking for sex was taking it slow, wasn’t it?  Normally he didn’t even have to ask -- women and men naturally fell all over him.  They responded to his angelic presence.  But the detective -- she never seemed to be affected.

They had almost kissed, when he had returned.   Oh, it would have been splendid.  He wished more than once that Chloe’s little spawn hadn’t interrupted, but perhaps it was for the best.  As far as he could see, the detective did not return his feelings.  How did he go about making her fall in love with him?  He needed to talk to Doctor Linda again.

They had all piled into the detective’s car early that morning, because Chloe and Trixie had wanted to see the sun rise and Lucifer’s two-seater was obviously too small to transport them.  The little spawn also wanted to learn self-defense, so Maze had tagged along as well, eager to teach Trixie some demon moves.  The beach was a good place to do it, with the soft sand that would cushion any throws and prevent injury.  Lucifer didn’t want the little ankle-biter harmed.  He felt... something toward the detective’s child.  She was quickly becoming important to him, but he didn’t know how to handle that, either.  He didn’t like children!  Well, most children.  Apparently, he did like Beatrice; he just didn’t want to admit it.  Admitting it would mean that he had more of these pesky emotions that he couldn’t understand and didn’t want.  He wanted to bang his head against a wall.

Maze had told him he was getting soft.  Maybe he was, at that.

“Lucifer.”

They both turned at the voice.  Amenadiel was standing behind them, looking grim in his suit.  Chloe blinked.  She wondered how Lucifer’s brother had gotten behind them without passing them first, but then shrugged it off.

“Hello, Amenadiel,” Chloe greeted.  She said with a laugh, “You and Lucifer are the only ones I know who would come to the beach in a suit.”

“It must run in the family,” Lucifer muttered.  He nudged her a bit.  “Why don’t you walk on ahead to Rocky Point and be with your spawn?  I’ll meet you shortly.”

Chloe made her excuses; the brothers watched the blonde woman walk away before Lucifer turned to the angel.  “So what brings you here this fine morning?  Shouldn’t you be in Heaven, polishing Dad’s boots?”

The angel looked annoyed.  “You’re being an ass, Luci.”

“On the contrary, dear brother, I think I’m entitled to a little payback, seeing as how you completely abandoned me where Mother was concerned.”  Lucifer started walking forward, annoyance clear in his stride.

“And I’m sorry about that,” his brother responded, hurrying to catch up with the fallen angel.

Lucifer whirled suddenly; Amenadiel almost walked right into him.  “And how did your little foray into Heaven with _my demon_ go?  Did you ever tell Dad?”

Amenadiel squirmed.  “He... He found out.”

“And wasn’t too pleased, I gather.”  Lucifer should have felt satisfaction, but he didn’t.  Instead he felt... a little sorry for his brother.  Ugh.  Pesky human emotions!  He was indeed getting soft.

“I’ve been suspended.”

“Oh.”  That was not good.  Suspension was a terrible thing -- the offending angel was forced to stay on the earthly plane, with no access to Heaven or any angelic brethren, until forgiven.  Lucifer’s mouth twisted.  Of course, it didn’t even compare to being sentenced to Hell, but Dad had reserved that punishment for him alone, apparently.

Amenadiel looked devastated.  “I have to watch over Hell while you’re here, but I can’t go back home.”

Lucifer was at a loss for words.  He was still angry with Amenadiel, but he could commiserate.  He knew what it was like to be shunned.  “Well, buck up,” he said, giving the angel a bracing shake on the shoulder.  “I’m sure Dad will forgive you in no time.  Drinks on the house when you come to LUX.”

“Thanks,” Amenadiel said, grimacing.  They walked in silence for another minute, before the angel spoke again.  “Actually, I didn’t come here to tell you that.  I came to warn you.”

Lucifer’s eyebrows furrowed as he faced the other man.  “Warn me?”

“I heard as I was leaving....  Father is sending Michael after you.”

The fallen angel stopped dead in his tracks, his face white.  Michael.  The only angel who had been strong enough to force him into Hell.  Lucifer laughed to cover up his sudden apprehension.  “That overbearing tosser?”

“Don’t underestimate him, Luci.  Rumor has it that he has an axe to grind with you.”

“Bloody hell, doesn’t everyone these days?” grumbled Lucifer.  He thought a moment, then asked, “Why are you warning me?”

“I didn’t help you with Mother.  Hopefully this will make up for it a bit.  Just be careful, okay?”

“Aren’t I always?”

“You can be pretty reckless, Luci.  Just... watch yourself.”

Lucifer wanted to say something cutting, but didn’t.  Amenadiel was trying to help, which was just... odd.  He didn’t know how to respond to it.  The two men watched the boats sail out of the harbor in silence, before they started walking again.  “You’re kind of far from Los Angeles, aren’t you, Brother?” Amenadiel asked, changing the subject.  Lucifer got the feeling that his brother was fishing for something.

The fallen angel shrugged.  “Orange County is not that far.  The detective wanted to go somewhere different, and this beach has a fairly private cove for her daughter and Maze to romp in.”

“Maze is here?”

At Amenadiel’s hopeful tone, Lucifer stopped and looked at his brother, who had an anxious, almost pleading look on his face.   It turned Lucifer’s stomach somewhat.  “Don’t look at me with those puppy dog eyes, Amenadiel.  They don’t become you.”

“Can I... see her?”

“Well, that’s not really up to me, is it?  She’s over at Rocky Point.”  Lucifer pointed to the rocks that lay ahead of them.  Amenadiel hesitated, looking torn.  Why wasn’t he moving, Lucifer wondered.  He gave his brother a shove.  “Well, go on, then.  You can’t wait here forever.”

He watched Amenadiel run toward the cove, and shook his head.  Was that what love turned a person into?  A pathetic bundle of quivering emotions?  Maybe he didn’t want this after all....  But then he caught sight of Chloe in the distance, and felt his heart beat faster.  He had it just as bad as Amenadiel.  “Bloody hell,” he muttered as he quickened his pace to reach her.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Rocky Point was fairly isolated, and in the early morning hours, private.  The tide was very low, so it was easy to reach the cove by the seashore instead of climbing over the rocks or coming down the stairs.  Amenadiel waded through the shallow water and peeked around a big rock.

Maze was showing Trixie some particularly nasty street moves designed to completely incapacitate a person.  Trixie laughed and clapped her hands.  Amenadiel was surprised that the demon would entertain a little girl, and look happy doing it.  It showed him another aspect of her character, and he liked what he saw.

He knew exactly when Maze caught sight of him.  The smile dropped off her face and a snarl replaced it.  She straightened and said in a deceptively sweet voice, “Well, Trixie, looks like we’ve got a volunteer opponent.”

The demon beckoned him with her finger.  The angel wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea, but it was wonderful to see her again.  Like a lamb being led to the slaughter, he couldn’t help but walk forward until he stood next to her.

“Maze, I --“

She punched him in the face, cutting off his words abruptly.  Trixie’s eyes went round.  Maze smiled.  “That is how you punch someone,” she told the girl.  “And this --“ she immediately kicked Amenadiel in the stomach, bowling him over, “ -- is how you kick someone.  You have to put everything you have into it.”

The demon then proceeded to throw, kick, and punch the angel while describing every move she made.  Amenadiel didn’t resist; he just took it all.  He knew Maze was angry.  He supposed he would be too, had she taken him to Hell against his will.  At some point, the little girl ran away, yelling for her mother, but Amenadiel was in such pain that he couldn’t tell when that was.

 

___________________________________________________

 

“Mommy!  Mommy!”  Trixie came running around the rocks toward Lucifer and Chloe, panicked.  “Maze is fighting with some guy!”

Chloe and Lucifer exchanged glances and hurried over to the rocks to see what was happening.  They both looked around the large rock at the same time.  Maze was beating Amenadiel to a pulp on the secluded beach.

“Oh my god,” Chloe gasped.

“Don’t bring him up now,” Lucifer said with a smile.  “This is just getting interesting.”

“We need to stop them.”  She started forward, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“No, no, no, my dear.  Wait a few moments.  It will work itself out,” Lucifer said.

Chloe looked at him like he was insane.  “Work itself out?  Lucifer, they’re killing each other!”

“Mommy, is Maze going to be okay?” asked Trixie worriedly.

Chloe bent down and looked the girl in the eyes.  “I think so, Monkey, but Lucifer and I have to go stop them from fighting.  Can you stay here and not get into trouble?”

Trixie bobbed her head once.

“Stay within view, okay?  And don’t go off with strangers,” Chloe warned, even though there was no one within eyeshot of them.

“Eight, seven....”

Chloe turned toward Lucifer, who was counting aloud as he looked out at the harbor channel with his back against the rocks.  “What are you doing?!”

“Three, two, one.  Right, I think that should do it.  Take a peek, Detective.”

They both looked around the rock again, Chloe with concern and Lucifer with glee.  The blonde woman squinted.  Maze had stopped pounding Lucifer’s brother, and now they were wrestling.  No, not wrestling.  They were --

“Oh my god!” she cried as she whirled around, her back to the scene on the beach.  Lucifer kept watching with interest.

“This hardly has anything to do with Dad,” he said.  His face lit up with excitement.  “Now _that’s_ an interesting position! “  He tapped Chloe’s side without taking his eyes off of the couple.  “Detective, we must try some of these moves!”

“Trixie, let’s go to the other side of the beach,” Chloe said, her blush running all the way to her hairline.  She started ushering her daughter away from the rocks.

“Will Maze be okay?” the little girl asked.

“I’m sure she’s fine, baby.  Let’s just go....”

“Oh my, that’s quite an athletic feat!” Lucifer crowed.  “We really _must_ try that!”  Chloe grabbed Lucifer’s arm and started dragging him away.  “Oh and out come the wings!” he continued.  Chloe wasn’t listening.

“Don’t be a perv,” she scolded.  “Let’s go!”

With one final envious glance at the beach, Lucifer turned and joined Trixie and her mother as they walked away, giving the couple privacy.


	3. Affairs of the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to ScooterThyme for beta'ing this chapter for me. Thank you, thank you!!!

 

 

Chloe, Lucifer and Trixie returned from the beach in the late morning, leaving Maze and Amenadiel to their own devices.  Trixie was worried that Maze wouldn't have any way to get home, but Lucifer had laughed and said, "Oh not to worry, my brother will make sure she gets home safely."

It had been a fairly quiet drive back to Los Angeles.  Trixie insisted that Lucifer sit beside her, which had the tall man protesting strenuously as he climbed into the back seat with her.  It made Chloe laugh.  He said he didn't like children, but he always did what Trixie wanted.

Chloe had to admit, Lucifer was changing.  Ever since returning from wherever he had been for five weeks, he seemed much more attentive towards her and her daughter.  He spent more time with them, often breaking into her house to surprise them with breakfast.  Asking him to watch over Trixie was met with the usual resistance, but he never let her down.  And, as far as she could see, he had stopped bedding anything that moved, which had been the most surprising.  Oh, he still flirted outrageously with everyone, but he didn't seem to follow through.

Chloe had recently found herself thinking of the club owner more and more, wondering what he was doing on the days when he wasn’t with her.  He was funny and kind, sometimes infuriating, but always supportive.  At times she surprised herself by wishing he would sweep her into his arms and kiss her, but the practical side of her always pushed those yearnings aside.  He was club owner, she was a cop.   _And never the twain shall meet_ , Chloe told herself.  He would get bored sooner or later, and she didn't want to be the one left with a shattered heart.

Pulling up into her driveway, Chloe peeked at the back seat through the rear view mirror.  Trixie had fallen asleep at some point on the long way home, snuggling up next to the tall man.  Usually he wore an uncomfortable expression when that happened, but the face she saw through the mirror was filled with gentleness as he looked down on her daughter.  It warmed Chloe’s heart.  Yes, he really was beginning to mean a lot to her.

"Okay, I have to run in to the office, so can you take Trixie to her friend’s sleepover party at three o'clock?  She can give you directions."

"But-- but today is your day off!" Lucifer cried.  "You can't possibly be thinking of going into work on a fine day such as today?"

"The lieutenant texted me last night.  There's some paperwork that somehow got misplaced at the DA's office so I have to get them a new set right away."  Leaning back between the seats, Chloe nudged Trixie on the leg.  "Hey, monkey, wake up.  We're home."

Trixie just snuggled closer to Lucifer and muttered, "No."

"Come on, little one, let's get you inside," Lucifer said as he shook the little girl awake.  "I believe you have a party to get ready for."

No response.

Sighing, Lucifer added, "There's some chocolate cake for you in the refrigerator if you get up."

Trixie's eyes popped open at that and she said, "Why didn't you say so?"

The little girl was out of the car like a shot, making Chloe laugh.

"You got played again, Lucifer," she said.

"She really has to stop doing that," he groused as he stepped out of the car and stretched his long frame.

"You love it, though," Chloe said.

Lucifer merely snorted, then leaned down beside her open window with that seductive grin of his.  "Are you sure you can't stay?  I can whip up a sinfully delicious lunch if you do."

It was hard to say no, because Chloe wanted to say yes very badly -- but that would never do.  "Duty calls.  I'll see you when I get back."

Lucifer watched the detective pull out of the driveway and disappear down the street.  For the thousandth time, he wished that she would be susceptible to his charms and just... stay.  She always seemed to be holding him at arm's length and he couldn't understand why.  Why was it so hard to keep her attention?  And why couldn't he stay away from her?  He would have been happy just sitting next to her all day....  And wasn't that a sad thing for the Devil to admit?  Damn these pesky emotions -- he really was turning into a lovesick fool.

Upon entering the house, he found the detective’s little spawn standing in the entry, looking at him with that wise expression that she sometimes got.  It was a little unnerving, and he knew the coming conversation was going to be uncomfortable. He tried to delay the inevitable.

"Did you find the cake?" he asked her.

Trixie looked at him with a knowing smile.  "You like Mommy, don't you?"

It looked like the little spawn wasn't going to be deterred.

"Everyone likes your mother, child," he hedged.

"But you _like her_ like her, don't you?"

Lucifer squirmed.  The little one was filleting his insides and laying his emotions out for everyone to see.

"You don't have to answer, I can see that you do," the little girl said.  "So why haven't you done anything?"

"Done... anything?"  Lucifer's mind was spinning.  Hadn't he done something?  He was always trying to be around Chloe -- hadn't that counted for anything?

"Ask her out on a date.  Buy her flowers.  You know, the mushy stuff."

"The Devil doesn't ask anyone out.  People ask _me_ out."  Which was true.  Women -- and men -- were so eager to sleep with him that he never had to ask.  Sometimes they went out, and like a gentleman he always paid, but it never required much effort on his part.  The detective, though, had never asked him on a date.  And he didn't even know how to go about asking her without looking like a pathetic, infatuated loon.

Besides, what if she said no?  He didn't know what he would do then.  No one had ever said no to the Devil....  Well, not in that way, anyway.

"You have no concept of romance," the girl said.

Lucifer’s eyebrows shot up at that.  "What do you know about romance?"

"I watch tv, and I know that Daddy and Mommy used to have date night.  She would get dressed up and they would go to dinner somewhere," Trixie said.  "You should do that too."

"Hmph.  I refuse to do anything like Detective Douche," Lucifer muttered.

"Well, think about it at least.  It seems to work on all the tv shows."

"What kind of shows are you watching, child?"

"Sometimes when Mommy isn’t looking, I turn on The Bachelorette."

"No.  No, no, no. "  Lucifer looked ill.  "I refuse to take advice from that bloody tv program.  Child, you shouldn’t be watching trash."

Trixie shrugged with a grin.  "It makes me laugh!"

With a final shake of his head, Lucifer looked at his watch.  "Right.  Well, it looks like you have quite some time before I take you to your party -- what would you like to do?"

"Let's play with Molly McDowell!" Trixie cried, excitedly grabbing his hand and pulling him toward her room.

"No, please, not the bloody ballerina ninja chemist again!" he groaned with an eye roll as he let himself be dragged off.

 

 

___________________________________________________

 

 

Chloe sat at her desk, pounding away at her computer.  She knew she had turned in all of the required paperwork, and it was probably sitting right on the DA’s desk -- the paralegals just didn’t want to look for it.  Now she had to make them another copy.  This happened time and again, and it frustrated her to death -- especially today, more than others.

She had been looking forward to spending time with Lucifer and Trixie on her day off.  Their time at the beach had been fun, and Lucifer’s offer to make something sinful for lunch had been really tempting.  And here she was, stuck at work.  Chloe wished Lucifer would just saunter in and start making trouble like he usually did -- which was maddening and hilarious at the same time.  She just... missed him.

Before she finished printing the documents she needed to deliver, the lieutenant came by and stacked more files on her desk.  More paperwork.  Great.  Drowning in paper, that’s what she was doing.  The thought that maybe Lucifer could give her a hand after he dropped Trixie off at her party flashed through her mind, and it made her chuckle.  He would say, “ _Boring!_ ” and run off, like he always did when there was real work to be done.  Although... he _was_ getting better about keeping her company these days, and company was always welcome.  That she wanted Lucifer’s company and no one else’s was a thought she pushed to the back of her mind.

She pulled out her phone, only to realize someone was standing in front of her desk.  Dan stood there, fidgeting awkwardly, trying to get her attention without interrupting her.  A sigh escaped her.  First paperwork, and now this.

“Hi, Dan, what’s up?” she asked as she put her phone back into her jacket pocket.

“I was wondering.... I’d like to talk to you about, well, us.”

Chloe frowned.  “Dan, this really isn’t the time or the place --“

“I know,” he interrupted.  “I was wondering if I can take you out to dinner tonight, and we can discuss things.”

Her gut reaction was a resounding _no_.  Anger was still boiling inside her at the thought of the whole Palmetto incident, and his part in it.  The feeling of betrayal had not gone away, and she wasn’t sure if she could ever trust him again.  He had made her feel like she was crazy, all the while hiding his own role in the shooting.  Then he stole a gun from the evidence locker for Malcolm Graham to use in framing Lucifer for murder.  It was unbelievable.  She didn’t even know him anymore.

But then common sense returned, and she remembered that this was Trixie’s father.  No matter what he had done, she owed it to her daughter to hear him out, even when she didn’t want to.

“All right.  I have to work on these files, then deliver some paperwork to the DA’s office.  I’ll be free by 6:30. Where do you want to meet?”

“How about that Mexican restaurant that you like?  The one on 6th and Central?”

“Fine.  See you then.”  She immediately turned away from him, ignoring him until he left.  Sighing, she pulled out her phone and dialed.

“Hello, Detective!  On your way back at last?” Lucifer’s smooth voice said over the phone.

“Unfortunately, no.  Dan --”

“Not Detective Douche...!”

“ _Dan_ needs to discuss some things with me, so we’ll be getting together for dinner tonight,” Chloe said.

“What?!”

“I don’t know when I’ll be home, so I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?  Thanks for taking Trixie to her party.”

“No-no-nonono wait, Detective--“

Chloe hung up on his protests, feeling a little guilty for doing so.  Listening to his reasons why she shouldn’t be meeting Dan would have swayed her enough to cancel on dinner.  She couldn’t have that, even if she would have much preferred being at home, relaxing with Lucifer.  She owed Dan at least that much.

 

___________________________________________________

 

 

Dan walked away from Chloe’s desk, feeling disgruntled.  He had really blown everything with Chloe, and he didn’t know how to make it right again.  If it hadn’t been for Malcolm miraculously surviving his gunshot wound at Palmetto, everything would have been fine.  Dan’s misdeeds would have stayed buried, and he would still be in good standing with Chloe.

But now....  Now he was on probation after stealing from the evidence locker, Chloe knew about his involvement with Palmetto, and his whole world was crashing down on him.  The worst thing was that Chloe was starting to see more and more of Lucifer Morningstar, just when they might have had the chance to patch up their marriage and make things right again.

Dan disliked Lucifer, but didn’t hate him.  Mostly he was jealous of the time Chloe spent with him, although part of that was his own fault.  After everyone ostracized Chloe because of Palmetto, Lucifer had neatly stepped in to be her new partner.  If Dan had just convinced the lieutenant to make _him_ Chloe’s partner, then Lucifer would have never become a thorn in his side.  Then again, at the time, he had been so busy covering his own backside that he never even thought to become Chloe’s partner.  And how could he have known that Lucifer was going to intrude?

Lucifer was obnoxious, self-centered, and incredibly childish, but he did have some good points.  He had gotten Dan an excellent lawyer to defend him for stealing the gun from the evidence locker, which was why Dan still had his job at the department.  He supposed he should be grateful, but when he thought of his wife and daughter spending time with Lucifer, all he could see was red.

Striding down the hall of the precinct in an incredibly bad mood, Dan didn’t notice he was being followed until he had gone to the kitchen.  After getting a cup of coffee, he nearly bumped into a big, handsome man with hair so blonde it was almost white.

“Hey man, watch it,” Dan warned.  “You looking for someone?  You shouldn’t be back here.”

“Well, I noticed you talking with Chloe Decker a little while ago,” the man said.  Dan noticed a slight accent which sounded European -- maybe Norwegian or German.  The guy dwarfed Dan with his height and bulky muscle, and yet no one seemed to notice him.

“That’s right,” Dan said as he moved to get around the guy.  Sidestepping suddenly, the man blocked Dan in the room.

“Tell me, what are you to Chloe Decker?” he asked.

Dan blinked and found himself saying, “I’m her husband.  Dan Espinoza.  We’re separated.”

“Ah,” the man said.  “You see her often?”

“Well, not often.  We’re getting together for dinner tonight, though.”

“Where?”

He couldn’t stop himself from answering.  “Mexican restaurant on 6th and Central, today at 6:30.  I’m hoping to go home with her afterwards.”

“Hm, well, we can’t have that,” the man muttered to himself.  Then, to Dan: “And tell me, do you know a Lucifer Morningstar?”

“Yes.”

“He won’t be at the restaurant, will he?”

“God, no, I hope not,” Dan said fervently.  The big, blonde man smiled, and the detective felt like he was basking in a ray of sunshine.  He felt... incredibly good.

“What do you think of Lucifer?” the man asked.

“He’s annoying and selfish, but he’s okay,” Dan said.

“Oh no, he’s a horrible, evil person.”

The detective blinked.  “You’re right, he is.”

“Brutal and vicious.  The Devil.  A monster.”

“You’re right.  Brutal and vicious.  The Devil.  Monster.”

A grin lit the man’s face.  “Yes.  You wouldn’t want your wife to be with him, would you?”

“No....”

“Good.  Now why don’t you go on now, and get ready for your dinner this evening?”  The man motioned him to leave.

“Okay.”

Dan walked away from the kitchen, suddenly unsure of what had just taken place.  Had he been talking to someone?  His mind seemed blank all of a sudden.  Laughter seemed to ring out behind him, but when he glanced back at the kitchen, he saw that it was empty.  Imagination?  Daydream?  Shaking his head, he walked back to the precinct bullpen.


	4. Date with Dan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super-huge shout out to my beta, ScooterThyme for all the hard work! Thank you for making this chapter shine!!

 

 

“She’s going to dine with Detective Douche.  Why would she do that?” Lucifer complained to Doctor Linda Martin.

The therapist had just been about to leave the office when he barged in, furious and agitated.  Linda didn’t have the heart to turn him away, plus he did pay well.  Sometimes she regretted no longer accepting the original form of payment, but when she realized he was developing feelings for the detective, she’d decided to cut that off.  She did miss the sex, though.  The man was terribly charismatic and undeniably beautiful.  And he had the most amazing moves....

“Lucifer, sit down,” Linda entreated.  Taking his customary seat on the sofa, he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees, while she sat in the chair opposite him.  “Now tell me what is going on.”

“The detective.  She said she’s going to dinner with Detective Douche.  What if she gets back together with him?  What does she see in him?!”  He raked his hand restlessly through his hair.

“Calm down.  What makes you think she’s going to get back together with him?”

“She said she was meeting him, that they had something to discuss.”  Unable to sit still, he looked this way and that, with frustration evident in every movement.  “Bloody hell, what if she develops feelings for him?”

“And would that bother you?”

“Of course it would!  She’s not supposed to have feelings for that wanker.  She’s supposed to have feelings for _me!_ ”

Linda’s eyebrows raised.  He was definitely expressing more feelings for Chloe than before.  “Lucifer, are you in love with Chloe?”

Lucifer’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water for several seconds before he said, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re jealous of Detective Espinoza because you’re in love with Chloe.”

The tall man sat up straight, taken aback.

“We’ve had this conversation before, Lucifer,” Linda said.  “You have feelings for Chloe, which is why you feel jealous.  It’s just that the jealousy is more pronounced now that you have deeper feelings for her.”

Horrified was too tame a word to describe Lucifer’s expression.  “Well, I’m not supposed to get jealous -- I’m the bloody Devil!  I inspire passions, not fall victim to them!”

A sigh escaped Linda’s lips.  Sometimes she really got tired of his metaphors.  “So what is it that you want?”

“What do I want?  You mean what do I desire, dear Doctor?”  Lucifer asked as he grinned devilishly.

Linda looked at him gravely and said, “Yes, Lucifer.  What do you want?”

His face fell.  “Right.  Well, I want the detective... minus Detective Douche.  Didn’t I make myself clear?”

“Then why don’t you just ask her out?”

“Because my charms don’t work on her!  I mean, I bloody tried to seduce her in the beginning, but she’s completely immune.”

“Do you want to seduce her?”

“Yes!  No!  I mean... bloody hell, I want...  I just want --”  His hands waved in the air frustratedly.

Linda leaned forward, sensing a breakthrough.  “What _do_ you want, Lucifer?”

“I want her to feel for me what I feel for her!  These bloody feelings of up, down and all over!  Of wanting to be with her, to protect her, to please... her....”  His voice petered out.

Smiling, the therapist said, “You want her to love you.”

“I– I want --”  Lucifer hung his head.  “Yes.  I want the detective to love me.”  After a long pause, he asked quietly with entreating eyes, “How do I go about making that happen?”

Looking intensely at her client, Linda said, “I think you need to show her who you really are.”

“What?”  He looked appalled at her words.

“Cast off this charade of Lucifer Morningstar.  Tell her, show her, who you really are.  Women like to know who they are dealing with.  You have to build a relationship on trust.  Telling her who you really are shows her that you are serious about having a relationship with her.”

Lucifer went pale at the thought of showing Chloe who he really was.  That meant proving to her that he was the Devil, which meant showing her his real face.  No.  If she didn’t go insane, she would think of him as an evil monster.  It would confirm in her mind every horrible thing anyone had ever said about him.  He couldn’t have that.  Her contempt would destroy him.

“No.  I can’t do that,” he said, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“I can’t show her who I really am.  She’ll loathe me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because if I show her, she’ll really believe all the things people say about me.  She’ll think me a monster and I can’t bear...  I can’t....”  Lucifer dropped his head into his hands.  “I don’t care what anyone else thinks, but I can’t have her of all people thinking that of me.   Not her.  Just... not her.”

“Lucifer --“

“Look, I just want her to fall in love with me.  Can’t I just... Isn’t there anything I can just... do?”

“Lucifer, you can’t force someone to feel something for you.  You have to be honest.  Showing her who you really are will start you both down the path toward a real relationship.  Honesty is much more important than grand gestures of romance --“

Lucifer’s head snapped up, and he got that look in his eyes that told Linda that he had jumped on the wrong part of her sentence.  “A grand gesture of romance?  You’re right, Doctor!  That’s exactly what I need!”

“No, Lucifer --“

He grinned like a fool.  “Come to think of it, that’s also what the little spawn said.  Well done, Doctor!”

He was gone before she could even respond.  She sighed in frustration and shook her head.

 

 

___________________________________________________

 

 

Chloe sat across from Dan in the restaurant, wondering for the hundredth time what she’d ever seen in him.  She felt nothing toward him.  Over dinner he tried to be his most charming, talking about work and Trixie, but there just didn’t seem to be anything they could discuss without some tension.  It was sad, but she realized that this was the end of them as a couple.  All of his actions had destroyed everything until there was nothing but an empty husk of what was once their marriage.  Dan had broken the backbone of their relationship -- trust.  She supposed that some day she might be able to forgive him -- maybe -- but she would never forget his betrayal.

She tried to give him her attention, but more than once she found herself wondering what Lucifer was doing.  Was he at LUX?  Or somewhere else?  Doing what?  A part of her wasn’t even sitting with Dan, but was with Lucifer, wherever he was....  And if that wasn’t an indication that she had it bad for the club owner, then she didn’t know what was.

“...and so I know that things aren’t going so well now, but I really would like us to try again.”  Dan looked at her with earnest eyes.  “I know you don’t trust me now, but please, Chloe.  Give me another chance.  I won’t let you down.”

Chloe blinked.  She hadn’t been listening.

Her dining partner snapped his fingers in front of her.  “Earth to Chloe, come in, Chloe.  Come on, at least pay attention to what I’m saying.”

God, she hated when he did that.

“You know I won’t screw up again,” he continued.  “Come on, please give me another chance.”

“Dan, I don’t know you anymore.  Hell, I don’t think I ever knew you.” Chloe said.

“But - but what about Trixie?  She needs a dad.”

“Yes, but not one who lies.  I just don’t trust you.”

Dan rolled his eyes.  “How many times do I have to apologize for what I’ve done?”

Chloe threw her napkin down on the table.  “Look, we just don’t have anything left to talk about.  I’ve decided to file for a divorce.”

The blood drained from Dan’s face.  “You -- you can’t do that!”

“You’ve done some despicable things --“

“But I confessed.  Doesn’t that count for anything?”

Chloe sighed and leaned back in her chair.  “Dan, please.  Let’s not make a scene.  Just accept my decision and let’s be done with it.”

He shook his head, his expression getting ugly.  “This is because of Lucifer Morningstar, isn’t it?”

The change in subject caught Chloe off-guard.  “What?”

“I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter.  He’s vicious and brutal.  A murderer.”

“ _What?!_ ”  Chloe stared at Dan in shock.  “What the hell are you talking about?”

“He’s a horrible person.  The Devil.  I don’t want him near Trixie -- or you.  He’s evil, Chloe.  Evil.”

Anger welled up in Chloe, compounding the animosity she already felt toward her husband.  “What the hell is wrong with you?  Who did he murder?  Tell me.”

At her words, Dan’s face went slack.  His brows furrowed as he tried to remember.  He knew what he said was true, but he couldn’t seem to recall any details.  “The... the preacher?”

“That was Malcolm, Dan.  Remember?  What is wrong with you?!”

Confusion clouded the man’s face.  “I... I don’t know.  I just know that he’s a brutal man and he shouldn’t be anywhere near Trixie or you.”

“You’re just jealous because I trust Lucifer,” Chloe snapped.  “He’s never lied to me.  You should take some pointers from him.”

Fury burned in her as she threw money on the table for her portion of the food, then left Dan sitting by himself.  In her rage, she didn’t notice a big blonde man rising from the opposite corner of the restaurant to follow her out.

Chloe stormed down the side street toward her parked car.  She couldn’t believe Dan had just accused Lucifer of being a killer.  The gall of the man!  Where did he get off, accusing Lucifer -- _Lucifer!_ \-- of such things?  She knew that Dan was jealous, but hadn’t realized the extent of his dislike.

She needed to calm down; rage would get her nowhere.  Her heart told her to find Lucifer, because he would be able to make her feel balanced and centered again.  Maybe she would do just that.

Decision made, she opened the car door.  Earlier, she had noticed a large blonde man leaning against the wall of the building as she had left the restaurant, but he was far off and his presence didn’t set off any alarms in her head.  Before she could even blink, he was suddenly beside her.  He was so fast that she hadn’t seen him move, nor did she see him raise his fist.  The back of her head exploded in pain and everything went black.

 

 

___________________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer sat on Chloe’s porch, quite proud of himself.  He thought that perhaps he’d finally found the right gesture to get into the detective’s good graces and maybe -- just maybe -- make her fall in love with him.  These human affairs were so complicated, and terribly confusing.  How did one know what exactly to do?  A roadmap to the human heart would have certainly been helpful.

Even though he felt like he had made a little progress with her in the last few weeks, he’d started worrying when she said she was going to meet Detective Douche for dinner.  What she saw in that bloody tosser had him completely baffled.  Chloe was far too good for Dan, but Lucifer supposed the man had his good points, as well.  He had, after all, gotten Lucifer off the hook for murder by confessing his own sins to the police.  Lucifer, in return, had gotten Dan a good attorney to help him out, because he hated to be in anyone’s debt.  He hadn’t asked Chloe what Dan’s fate had ended up being, but he’d seen the man at the precinct, so he assumed that he still had his job.

Lucifer couldn’t sit still.  What was taking Chloe so long to get home?  Anxiety chewed at him.  What if she decided to go back to Detective Douche?  No, no, she wouldn’t do that, would she?  Why would she?  The man had betrayed her through and through, to cover up his own misdeeds.  Chloe wouldn’t be so foolish as to return to him, would she?

Human emotions were unfathomable to him.  Maybe there was a reason she wanted to get back together with Detective Douche...?  They shared a spawn, after all.  Lucifer frowned as he thought of Chloe’s little human.  Did the child want her father back?  His insides revolted at the thought of Chloe and Trixie returning to Detective Douche.  He rubbed his chest absently, wondering if he had indigestion.  It certainly couldn’t be jealousy, like Dr. Linda had indicated.

Sighing, he stared up at the stars and wondered for the hundredth time where Chloe was.  Excitement rushed through him as he thought of the detective’s reaction to his surprise.  He couldn’t wait to see the expression on her face.  Would she be impressed?  He sincerely hoped so.  She was a very hard woman to impress.  Standing up to stretch, he paced a bit, then sat right back down on her porch.  Chloe had said she would be home late, but it was taking an awfully long time for her to arrive....

His phone rang.  Seeing that it was Chloe, Lucifer answered it, saying, “Detective!  Done with the Douche?”

“Hello, Luci.”

Lucifer went pale at the sound of the man’s voice on the other end of the line.  “ _Mike_.”

A malicious laugh echoed through the phone.  “I have something of yours, Brother.”

_Chloe._

Panic beat like a frantic bird in Lucifer’s chest.  “If you’ve hurt her --“

“Meet me on the roof of the Aon Center, in one hour.”

Lucifer was running to his car before his brother had even finished his sentence.


	5. Michael

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to ScooterThyme, the best beta in the universe!! You are awesome! :D

 

 

Chloe slowly regained consciousness.

What had happened?  She recalled seeing a big blonde man on the way to the car, and then -- nothing.  Her head ached, though.  The only thing she could surmise was that he had attacked her.  But why?  Thinking hard, she tried to place his face, but she was sure she had never seen him before.  Why would he kidnap her?

Laying still, she assessed her situation.  Her hands were tied in back of her, but her legs were free, thank god.  Maybe she could make a run for safety at some point.  Her holstered gun dug into her side where she was lying on it.  So her assailant hadn’t disarmed her?  That was weird.  She could hear the sound of distant traffic and feel the night air, so she was outside.  As carefully as she dared, she cracked her eyes open.  It was a rooftop, she could see that much.

A foot came into view, and suddenly she was being hauled up by the lapels of her jacket to a standing position.  The big blonde man towered over her, a grin on his face.  With one quick movement, he whipped open her jacket and Chloe felt fear rush through her.  Was he going to rape her?  Apparently not; he tucked her phone back into her inside jacket pocket.

“Lucifer’s on his way,” he said.

Lucifer?!  What did he have to do with this?  Chloe shook her head to try and clear it.  Her brain was still foggy from the assault.  The blonde man pushed her back until she was sitting on the parapet at the edge of the roof.  A peek over her shoulder told her she was very, very high up.  She swallowed hard.  One wrong move and she’d be splattered on the pavement below.

The man followed her glance and smiled.  “We’re sixty-two stories up.  You’d never survive the fall....  Well, not unless you had wings.”  He laughed at his own private joke.

“W-what do you want with Lucifer?” she managed to choke out.

Her assailant looked at her with interest.  “Why, we’ve been fighting since the beginning of time.”

Chloe blinked at him.  “What?”

“Oh, forgive me, I haven’t introduced myself.  I’m Lucifer’s brother, Michael.”

“Brother?”  She couldn’t keep the disbelief out of her voice.  The only thing Lucifer and this big blonde man had in common was their height.  Other than that, they were polar opposites of each other.  Whereas Lucifer was all sinew and bone like a lean wolf, this man was built like a bear -- a fair-haired bear.  Lucifer had a warmth about him; this man was as frigid as the Arctic.  Strangely, he reminded Chloe of Lucifer’s crazy mother, even though they looked nothing alike.  Perhaps Lucifer and this strange man were related, after all.

“I take it Luci’s never talked about me.”  Michael laughed.  “That’s all right -- I’m not surprised.  He was always jealous of me.  I was the favorite son, you see.  Father always preferred me.  Luci just couldn’t stand it.  He tried to overthrow Father and ended up in Hell for it.”

“That doesn’t sound like Lucifer,” Chloe said.

The blonde man gave her a smirk that filled her with fear.  “He punished millions.  Killed in Father’s name.  He spread evil and sin throughout the earth.  Set peoples against peoples, all for his own benefit.”

Okay, this guy was insane.  Certifiably insane -- especially with the Hell metaphors.  She thought Lucifer was hung up on them, but this guy...!

“You believe me, don’t you?  That he’s evil.  That he’s going to destroy the world.”

The man stared at her intensely.  Chloe felt something -- almost a pressure in her head, but she chalked it up to the concussion she no doubt had.  She said bravely, “That still doesn’t sound like the Lucifer I know.”

Michael leaned back, surprised.  “You... you don’t believe me?”

“I think you must have the wrong Lucifer Morningstar.  Why don’t you let me go and we can forget all about this?”

The blonde man stood up and gave her an incredulous glance.  “You are a strange one.  Mother said you were strange, but I didn’t believe her.”

“Yeah, well, look who’s talking.”

Without warning, he backhanded her, his fist in her jacket the only thing to keep her from toppling over the ledge.  Chloe tasted blood in her mouth, and her head throbbed where he had struck her.

“Have respect when you speak to me,” he snarled at her.

“You’re crazy,” Chloe said.

Michael apparently didn’t like her comment, for he forced her to her knees and bent over her.  “You _will_ respect me.”

Chloe spit in his face.

Pain ripped through the side of her head as he slapped her viciously.  Falling hard on the roof’s surface, she tried to catch her breath and clear her head.  Michael crouched over her with his fist raised, waiting to strike her as soon as she rose.  Chloe closed her eyes, praying for help to come soon.

Almost as if in answer to her plea, the stairwell door slammed open and Lucifer stood there, looking more threatening than Chloe had ever seen him.  “Mike!”

Burning rage consumed the dark-haired man when he saw his brother crouched over a bloodied Chloe.  His hands balled into fists as he stormed toward them.  Michael stood up as he approached.

“Hello, Brother.  Nice of you to join us.”

“Step away from her,” Lucifer snarled.  Michael just laughed.

“I haven’t seen you since the Fall,” the blonde angel said.  “The last time I saw you, you were a broken, bloody mess.  I must say you’re looking well.”

“Shut your bloody hole, Mike.”

Another laugh burst from the archangel’s lips.  “Feisty as ever.  Father’s authorized me to do whatever it takes to send you back to Hell, so you best go back or I will kill you.  And believe me, I’d rather you didn’t go back so that I can finish what I started all those years ago.”

Lucifer’s eyes gleamed red for an instant, before he got his fury under control.  “If you want to continue that fight, then I’m right here, you bloody moron.  Why the hell are you involving the detective?”

“Like it really matters?  She’s just a _human_ , Luci.”

Lucifer got within ten feet of the pair and snapped, “Back away, Michael.”

Holding his hands up with a laugh, Michael gave him space.  “You really do care for her, don’t you?  I never would have believed it.  She’s not even worth the ground you walk on, Luci.”

Ignoring his brother, Lucifer rushed over to Chloe.  He helped her to a sitting position and held her shoulders steady as he looked her over.  His eyes were wild with concern and worry.  “Are you all right, Detective?”

Chloe nodded.  “I’m okay.”

“You need to get out of here.”  Before she knew what he was up to, he reached behind her and snapped the ropes binding her.  His strength surprised her, but her head was in too much of a fog to take it in at the moment.  “Don’t do anything that draws attention to yourself," Lucifer said.  “You’ll be safer that way.”

“But Lucifer --“

“Promise me you’ll stay out of this, Detective.  This is a family affair.”  His eyes held hers as he spoke, as if trying to say something beyond words.  She felt him rest his hand on her hip, where her gun was.  “Don’t use this -- it won’t work.  Promise me, Detective.”

“I won’t.  Lucifer, he’ll kill you --“

“ _Please,_ Detective.  Let me handle this.”

“But I can --“

“ _Trust_ me, Chloe.”

Hearing her given name on his lips made her realize how desperate he was to keep her out of the fight.  Chloe didn’t like it one bit, but she finally nodded reluctantly.

Lucifer let out a sigh of relief.  “Right.  Good girl.  Now as soon as you can, get to the stairwell and away to safety.”

“I won’t leave you with that crazy --“

“Detective,” he interrupted.  “Please.  You make me vulnerable.  You have to get out of here.”

There wasn’t much she could say to that, for she could see Lucifer’s point.  As long as she stayed on the roof, Michael could use her as leverage against him.  At her nod, Lucifer turned and started walking toward his brother with a murderous glint in his eye.  Michael sauntered up to meet him, a nasty smile on his face.

“You’ve gotten soft, Brother.  Doesn’t suit you.  What happened to good old Samael?  God’s Poison, hm?  And you _are_ Dad’s poison, trying to destroy him.”

“I never tried to destroy him,” Lucifer said through gritted teeth.  “That’s a lie.”

Michael’s laughter rang through the air.  “But no one believed you, did they?  No one ever believes you, Brother -- even when you tell the truth.”

They started circling each other like a pair of vicious animals.  Lucifer kept moving backward at a subtle pace, drawing his brother farther away from Chloe.

“I can’t wait to tear you apart, Brother,” Michael snarled.

“Right back at you, bro,” said Lucifer.  “How is dear old Dad?”

“Still moaning about what a loss you were.  I am so _sick_ of hearing how great you were.   _I_ should have been the favorite!”

“Well, you are now, so what’s the problem?”

“You are,” the blonde angel spat.  “I never stop hearing about you!”  He charged Lucifer, catching him around the waist and slamming him onto the rooftop.  The fallen angel grunted in pain.  Before Michael could do more damage, Lucifer punched him in the face and kicked him off.  Scrambling to his feet, his eyes searched for Chloe.  She was almost to the stairwell door.  Relief shot through him.

Michael followed his line of sight, ripped a piece of metal off of a nearby mechanical unit and threw it at Chloe.  It cut off her escape and nearly sliced her in half; she fell backward onto the roof just in the nick of time.  With a roar, Lucifer jumped his brother and started pounding on him.  The larger angel fought him off, and kicked him across the roof.  Lucifer crashed into several mechanical units and struggled out of the rubble.

“You stay!”  Michael barked at Chloe.

“S-she has nothing to do with this,” Lucifer snarled as he spit blood out of his mouth.  “Why keep her?”

“Because you care for her!”  Michael ripped out an air conditioning unit out of the roof and threw it at the dark-haired man.  Scrambling to get out of the way, Lucifer barely avoided being crushed.  He rushed his brother, tackling him to the ground.  They rolled around, each struggling for the upper hand.  Lucifer got a grip on Michael’s throat, but the larger angel twisted from his grasp, hauled him up and kicked him in the stomach.

The blow knocked Lucifer across the roof and he tumbled to a stop several feet away.  He struggled to catch his breath as pain shot through him.  A quick glance showed him that Chloe was trying for the door again.  Once she was free and clear, he would be able to face Michael on an even footing; for now he was at a serious disadvantage.  Everything hurt.  He suspected that some of his ribs were cracked.

Michael saw Chloe trying to escape.  With a harsh laugh, he ripped out another mechanical unit and heaved it at her, nearly hitting her.  She jumped back to stay clear of the heavy machinery, but was too close to the edge.  Screaming, she lost her balance and went over the side.

“ _Chloe!_ ” Lucifer yelled.


	6. Truths Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to ScooterThyme, the best beta in the universe! Thank you!!!

 

 

“ _Chloe!_ ”

Lucifer ran to the ledge of the roof and pushed himself off the parapet hard.  As he executed a perfect swan dive, his wings tore through the clothes on his back, reaching out and giving him control.  Chloe’s arms were flailing, slowing her down.  Good.  He pulled his limbs in, streamlining his body and wings to become more aerodynamic.  Like a peregrine falcon diving for prey, he picked up speed and gained on her.

Almost there, almost there....

As he approached, he could see the wild fear in her eyes.  Chloe reached for him, screaming something, but he couldn’t hear her over the roar of the wind.  He grabbed at her hand, but it was being buffeted by the gale forces and he couldn’t catch it.  Determination swept through Lucifer.  He couldn’t -- wouldn’t -- lose her.  Not like this.

Pulling even with her, he reached out, hauling her to him in a firm embrace.  Feeling her arms wrap securely around his torso, he opened his wings wide, giving him lift as he banked.  They were so close to the ground that his wings scraped the asphalt street.  He soared upward, but then caught sight of another winged figure headed his way.

Michael.

Cursing under his breath, he caught an updraft, pushing himself faster and away.  Tightening his hold on Chloe, he yelled over the wind, “Hang on!”  Her face was pressed against his chest so he couldn’t be sure if she heard, but he liked to think that he had felt her nod.

He darted around buildings at breakneck speeds, but Michael stayed on his tail.  Lucifer chanced a glance behind him; even at a distance, he could see the feral grin on his brother’s face.  As much as Lucifer wanted Chloe safe, there was no time to put her down.  He kept a hold of her, weaving and dodging as best he could as his pursuer gained ground.

Another quick glance showed his brother almost reaching him.  Lucifer shot skyward then away, but he couldn’t shake Michael.  Lucifer spun and dove back down again, heading straight for the earth and then pulling up just before hitting the street below.  Pushing himself ever harder, he shot forward then upwards again, desperately trying to outfly his brother.

Michael slammed into Lucifer’s back, the sudden weight forcing him to sag awkwardly toward the street.  He felt fingers clawing at the base of his wings as Michael struggled for a hold.  Panic rose within him.  Banking hard, Lucifer scraped his back along a building, trying to knock his brother off.  The archangel held on as he tore through the wall.  Lucifer tried slamming his back against the side of the closest building he flew beside.   It knocked the wind out of him, sending him careening wildly for a moment before he could get his balance back.  His brother held on, so Lucifer ricocheted against another building, causing it to crack and fracture from the sheer force of his blow.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Brother,” Michael yelled over the wind as he grabbed the back of Lucifer’s neck with one hand, and tightened the grasp on his wing with the other.

Fear filled Lucifer as he felt his brother’s fingers start to squeeze his neck.  Michael would kill him mid-flight, and then what would happen to Chloe?  He had to keep her safe, but how?

Slamming into more buildings resulted in nothing, with Michael’s fingers only tightening their hold.  Lucifer didn’t know how to get his brother off of him, except....

Desperation made him reckless.  Gritting his teeth, Lucifer took them skyward at a blinding speed.  Chloe burrowed closer to him, as if knowing that something bad was coming.  He felt Michael’s grip shift from his neck to his wings as the power of the wind forced his brother back.

Lucifer performed a somersault in midair, changing directions suddenly and heading straight down for the earth in a dive bomb.  Faster and faster he went, watching the ground rush up to meet all of them.  One of his hands tucked Chloe’s head under his chin, and he spread his fingers wide to protect her.  If he lost this game of chicken with his brother, he swore he would do everything he could to save her, even if it meant sacrificing himself to do it.

The earth got closer and closer, but his brother did not loosen his hold.

As they closed in on the street below, Lucifer flipped directions, so that he and Chloe faced skyward and his brother, the earth.  It was a terrible disadvantage to Lucifer, for he could no longer gauge where he was in relation to the ground, but he hoped Michael would let go before he made impact.

Seconds passed, and still Michael held on.  Lucifer could see the buildings screaming past him as he fell.

In the final moments, he felt his brother release and push away.  Lucifer flipped and quickly spread his wings out, pulling out of the dive.

They were too close to the ground.  His shoulder hit the pavement hard, and he heard bone crunching as he scraped the street.  It almost ended with him losing control and rolling, but Lucifer reached out with one hand and pushed off the ground to give him lift.  He kept his wings wide as he managed to pull up before any more damage was done.  Flying low, Lucifer glanced up but couldn’t see Michael.  That didn’t mean the angel wasn’t out there, though.  Lucifer pushed on, flying faster and upwards.  Still no sign of his brother.  Had he left?  Perhaps he had been scared off by the game of chicken?

Lucifer decided it would be a good time to get Chloe to safety.  He quickly landed in a parking lot and gently released Chloe.  She nearly fell to the ground; her legs were shaking so hard she could barely stand.  Lucifer steadied her as best he could, then gave her a gentle shove.

“Run,” he said, as he backed up a few steps and scanned the sky for his brother.

Chloe stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.  Deep in shock, she stood rooted to the ground.  She had just been through some of the most harrowing minutes of her life, and now Lucifer was standing before her with wings.  Wings!  And... blood.  Crying out at the sight, she took a stumbling step toward him, an arm outstretched at his injured shoulder.

Lucifer’s frantic eyes returned to Chloe.  “Detective, you have to r --“

Chloe screamed as Michael slammed into Lucifer’s side at high velocity, sending them both crashing into the wall of a distant building.

The archangel was the first to emerge from the rubble, dragging his fallen brother out of the debris by a wing.  Lucifer shook his head to clear it as he scrambled for leverage.  Michael only laughed at his struggles and threw him into another building wall.

Pain racked Lucifer’s body, but the thought of Chloe kept him going.  Pulling himself from the ruins of the wall, he charged Michael, catching him around the waist and wrestling him to the ground.  He managed to get in three good punches before Michael pulled a knife.  The archangel tried to stab him in the gut, but Lucifer twisted; the knife caught the edge of his side.  Lucifer cried out and rolled away, taking the weapon with him.  With a yank, he pulled the knife out and threw it to the side, then clutched his wound to try to stem the bleeding.

“N-never could play fair, could you, Mike?” Lucifer spat.

Michael laughed.  “I’ll do whatever it takes, Luci.”

The blonde angel tackled his brother, punching the knife wound.  The screaming pain stunned Lucifer, but only for a moment.  He kicked Michael away from him, then scrambled to his feet.  Backhanding Lucifer with one of his great white wings, Michael drew blood where the feathers cut like knives across his brother’s face and chest.  Grabbing Lucifer by the wings, the angel slammed him into another wall.  The dark-haired man lay crumpled where he fell, bloody and dazed.  Michael picked up his knife, preparing to deliver the final blow.

“Leave him alone!”

The angel turned to see Chloe pointing her gun at him.  She had broken through her shock after seeing Lucifer so badly beaten.  Michael smiled.  “What’s this?  You care for this monster?”

“You bastard, you leave him alone or I’ll shoot!” Chloe yelled.  “I’m warning you!”

The angel laughed.  “Go ahead, little human.  Try it.  Shoot me.”  His wings spread threateningly as he sheathed his knife and started approaching her.

Lucifer managed to raise his head, and struggled to rise.  “You l-leave her alone, Mike,” he warned.

“Or what?” laughed Michael.  “You’ll stop me?  Please, Brother.  Are you forgetting that I was the only one strong enough to force you out of Heaven?”

“I’m warning you,” Chloe said as she raised her gun at the approaching angel.

“Go ahead.  Do it.”  The blonde man grinned at her as he came closer.

Chloe fired a round.  Michael took a step back from the impact, then just kept on walking toward her.  Panicking, she emptied her entire clip into him.  It didn’t stop him -- indeed, he barely even flinched.  Mouth dropping open in shock, Chloe was powerless to do anything when he batted the gun out of her hand.

“Mike!” Lucifer warned as he pulled himself upright and staggered toward him.

Michael shoved Chloe to the ground then turned to face his brother.  He backhanded Lucifer again with his sharp wings, then lunged forward, wrapping a thick forearm around the fallen angel’s neck in a headlock.  Lucifer’s wings beat frantically until Michael tightened his hold.  The blonde angel turned back toward the detective.

“Why do you care for this one?”  He smiled slightly, but there was puzzlement in his voice.  “He’s the Devil.  Or perhaps you didn’t know?”

Chloe stared up at Michael, then at his captive, who was trying hard not to choke in the head lock.  Fear ran up and down her spine -- not for her, but for Lucifer.

“Did you know he was the Devil?” the angel pressed.

She swallowed hard before answering.  “He told me he was.”

“You didn’t believe, did you?”

Chloe shook her head.  “No, but he’s never lied to me.”

That brought out a bark of laughter from Michael.  “Never lied.... Tiny human, he’s the Prince of Lies!  Every word out of his mouth is a lie.  He’s Evil Incarnate!”  The angel shook his brother like a rag doll.  “Foul, stinking, murdering filth.”

He turned his attention back to Chloe.  “And yet I sense no evil in you -- why do you care what happens to him?”

_Because I love him!_

Chloe reeled in shock at the revelation her mind had just screamed.  She loved Lucifer?  This twelve-year-old in an adult’s body?  This... this apparent angel?  This… Devil?!

But she did.  It had taken her a long time to realize it, but she did love him.  He had never lied to her.  Lucifer had always been there for her, especially when the whole Malcolm kidnapping Trixie incident went down.  He had risked his life for her, and tonight he had even saved it.  She enjoyed his company, and she trusted him.  Sure, maybe he did things in an unorthodox way, and he was terribly self-centered, but... he was gentle to her, and kind to Trixie.  Sometimes he made her crazy; other times, he made her laugh.  And when he had disappeared without a trace for five weeks, she had been devastated.

It was all too much to take in.  She loved Lucifer, but Lucifer was the Devil, which meant she was in love with the Devil.  The Devil, in whom she had never believed before.  All that Heaven, Hell stuff which she had just brushed off her entire life -- all real.  Oh, god.  That meant God was real too.  Chloe felt like she was having a mental breakdown.

“Answer me.  Why do you care?” Michael repeated, shaking Lucifer to bring her attention back him.  But she couldn’t answer.  Everything was too fresh, too new.  Her mouth worked, but no sound came out.

“Perhaps it is this pretty face which attracts you?” he asked, grabbing a fistful of Lucifer’s hair and pulling his head back cruelly.  “Shall I show you how he really looks?”

“No --“ Lucifer croaked.  Fear shot through him as he struggled futilely.  No, no, _no!_  He couldn’t let Chloe see what he really looked like -- she would never look at him the same again, and he would lose her forever.

“You see,” the larger angel said, “He really has been lying to you all this time.  Perhaps not in words, but with this.”  Michael tightened his hold on his brother and pressed his hand against Lucifer’s face.

Lucifer screamed as terrible pain seared through his face at his brother’s touch.  He struggled to keep his glamour around him, but Michael burned it all away, until there was nothing left except his true appearance.... His Devil face.  Lucifer’s eyes went to Chloe, whose face was white with shock and horror.

The archangel laughed as he tossed his wounded brother to the ground, and kicked him hard.  “A monster, he is,” Michael said.  “The bane of Heaven from the beginning of time.”

Chloe couldn’t move.  She could only stare at the figure of Lucifer lying on the ground with his face turned away from her.  She looked back up at the archangel, who smiled.

“I won’t kill him now.  Maybe I don’t even need to.  He can’t stay on earth as he is.  He’ll go back to Hell with his tail tucked between his legs.”  Michael laughed maliciously, then launched himself upward, quickly disappearing into the night sky.

Lucifer writhed on the ground, trying desperately to gather his glamour around him to restore his angelic appearance, but he couldn’t.  Michael had broken something deep inside of him with that burning touch, and he could not fix it.

The look that Chloe had given him, full of horror and disbelief, hurt terribly.  He knew he had lost her.  All the hatred, the loathing....  He could handle it from anyone else, but not from her.  She now had proof that he was the Devil, so what would stop her from believing everything that his brother and the world said he was?  Evil Incarnate.   The words rung in his ears, and he wanted to scream in pain.  What was he going to do?  He couldn’t live without her, but now....  Despair tore through him.

For the first time in his life, he was ashamed of what he was.

Chloe finally broke through her paralysis, and ran to Lucifer’s side, but she didn’t know how to help him.  His wings were spread out around him, the feathers ragged and dirty.  There was so much blood....  She reached out to him with shaking hands, but he flinched from her touch as he pulled himself to his knees.  He kept his face averted.

“D-don’t,” he whispered.  “P-please.”

“Lucifer --“

“Leave me alone.”

“You’re bleeding.  Let me help --“  Chloe reached for him again, but he pulled away from her as if burned.

“N-no.  Go home, Detective.”  His voice was thick with despair.  “Please.”

With a sudden movement, Lucifer pushed himself up from the ground and launched himself into the sky.  It was a harrowing take-off, for his injuries were great, but he managed the best he could.  He heard Chloe call after him, but he did not look back.


	7. The Return Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, ScooterThyme for being the best beta in the world and cleaning this up for me! You ROCK!!

 

 

Lucifer barely managed to get back to his flat, collapsing once he landed on the balcony.  He lay still on the cool stone tile, exhausted and hurting.  The thought of Chloe hating him filled him with more pain than his injuries.  He was the Devil, and now she had proof.  There was nothing to keep her from thinking that he was an evil monster.  What was he going to do now?  That bloody bastard brother of his had well and truly destroyed any chance he would have had of happiness.

With as much effort as he could gather, Lucifer pulled himself to his feet and tried to tuck in his wings.  The tender and swollen appendages wouldn’t fold completely because of all the abuse they had suffered.  His shoulder and upper arm felt broken from where he had hit the pavement and his chest and face were raked with deep scratches from Michael’s sharp feathers.  There was also this bloody knife wound.  Bloody, bloody hell.

Staggering into the flat, he made his way over to his glossy black piano.  Resting on it was a tray with glasses and a crystal whiskey decanter.  He tried to pour himself a shot, but his hands were shaking so badly that he couldn’t hold the decanter steady.  Swearing loudly, Lucifer grabbed the glass container and took a large swig.  As he finished drinking, he made the mistake of looking down at the top of the glossy black piano.  The reflection of his Devil face stared back at him.

With a roar, Lucifer threw the whiskey decanter as hard as he could at the shelves of alcohol behind the bar, shattering it.  Suddenly filled with hot, burning rage, he proceeded to completely trash his flat like a wounded bull in a china shop.

But it didn’t make him feel any better.  He had lost the woman he loved forever.  Falling from Heaven couldn’t even compare with the pain and loss he felt now.  Sinking to his knees, he cradled his head in his hand, and wept.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Chloe didn’t know how she made it back home.

Luckily she had her phone,  so she was able to arrange for an Uber driver to pick her up.  After seeing Chloe’s bloodied face, the Uber driver became very sympathetic and handed her an extra towel from his trunk so that she could clean up while he drove her to her car, which was still at the restaurant.

Chloe barely remembered anything concerning the drive through the streets of Los Angeles; everything was done in a fog.  Her mind was still reeling over the revelations of the night.  Lucifer -- an angel.  Devil.  A winged being.  A _divine_ being.  It was really hard wrapping her head around the concept, even though she had seen for herself the proof of what he was.

Before she knew it, they had arrived at her destination.  She tried to return the towel to the Uber driver, but he waved her off and told her to report the assault to the police.  She didn’t have the energy to tell him she _was_ the police.  With shaking hands, she dug her keys out of her pants pocket and stepped into her car.

For a long time, she just sat and looked back on all of her memories of Lucifer.  His insistence that he was the Devil.  The face she had seen in the reflection as he confronted the kidnapped girl, Lindsay Jolson -- the face he now wore.  The suspect throwing himself off the roof when approached by Lucifer during the hunt for his lost container.  His wings.  Oh god, his wings.  Someone had actually stolen his wings. His _real_ wings.  No wonder Lucifer had been so insistent that they be found.   His scars, where he had Maze cut off those same wings.  And Maze... she really was a demon.

It was all too much.

She squeezed her eyes shut.  Some things just didn’t make sense.  If he was an angel, then why had he bled when she shot him?  Why had he gotten burned when he had gotten them out of the fire at Chef Javier’s restaurant?  His brother had been completely invulnerable to a full clip of bullets pumped into him.  So why was Lucifer vulnerable?  Was it because he didn’t have any wings?

But no -- he had wings now.  He _definitely_ had wings now.

Chloe rubbed her forehead in frustration before she started the car and began the long drive home.  It was a struggle to sort everything out.  So what did this all mean?  Okay, so Lucifer was the Devil.  There was no denying that fact.  It was hard to accept, but she was just going to have to face it.  But what did that mean to _her_?

Her concept of the Devil was that of a wicked being who encouraged people to do evil things.  He was the Prince of Lies and the source of all malicious acts done by mankind.  But was that the Lucifer she knew?

He had never lied to her.  Prevaricated, perhaps.  But never outright lied.

Was he wicked?  Only if one called someone who bedded anything that moved wicked.  He was passionate, there was no doubt about that.  Perhaps he dabbled in some things which were not completely above board, like trading favors for favors, but was that evil?  No.  And he had been affected very deeply by Father Frank’s death -- right there was an indication that he was not how people envisioned the Devil.

Had he ever killed anyone?  No.  Come close, yes.  The Spider -- he had pinned that very large, heavy man against a wall with one hand.  The sports agent he threw through a plate glass window, again with one hand.  His defense against the preacher, caught on video.  They had all survived their encounters with him except for the preacher, but that had been Malcolm’s doing.  So no, he never killed anyone.  

Did he encourage people to do evil things?  He encouraged people to follow their desires and do what they wanted to do, but those were not necessarily evil things.  She remembered how outraged he had been when people were getting killed in his name.  If he was encouraging people to do evil things, then that shouldn’t have bothered him.

No, the Lucifer she knew was nothing like the tales she heard about the Devil.  The Lucifer she knew was a good man.  Sure, he had a temper, but didn’t everyone?  He was passionate, kind, gentle when he wanted to be, and funny.  He was worldly about certain things, yet strangely innocent in others, and he had no filters or boundaries, which made sense since he wasn’t human.

Not human.

She was in love with an angel.  A fallen angel, but an angel nonetheless.  Her life had suddenly taken a turn for the bizarre, and Chloe felt like she was living in the Twilight Zone.  But was it wrong to love Lucifer?  He needed love so badly, she could see that.  She remembered overhearing his bedtime story to Trixie about the Fall, and how he had been shunned by all of his siblings.  The anger and bitterness in his voice had revealed the hurt he felt.  He had had nothing but hardship his entire life, with a manipulative father and an insane mother.  Yet, despite all of that, there was a sweetness to him that he kept well hidden.  It was that sweetness that drew her to him.

She loved Lucifer.  When she came right down to it, it didn’t matter to her if he was the Devil, an angel or a fricking alien.  She loved him.

Before she knew it, she was in front of her house -- she didn’t even remember how she got there.  Chloe made her way to the front door.  Thankfully Trixie was at her friend’s sleepover party, so she didn’t have to worry about waking her daughter up.  She fumbled with her keys, finally managing to open the locks, and walked inside.

The smell of flowers greeted her.

When she switched on the lights, she could see that the entire house was filled with more varieties of flowers than she had ever seen -- roses, carnations, lilies, chrysanthemums, and other flowers she couldn’t even identify.  Her eyes grew round with wonder and she wandered from room to room, her heart beating fiercely.  A large arrangement sat in the middle of her dining table, with an envelope attached to a plastic pick in the center.  With shaking hands, Chloe opened the envelope and read the card.

“The Devil does romance!  Have dinner with me.  L.”

Chloe felt tears welling in her eyes.   Yes, she loved this man.  This kind and gentle man.  This wonderful, warm and thoughtful soul.

She fumbled with her phone, nearly dropping it before she managed to call Lucifer.  She heard it ringing; she fidgeted, impatient to hear his voice.  Biting her lip, she waited for him to pick up, but he didn’t -- it switched to voicemail.

“Damn it, Lucifer, pick up,” she muttered as she redialed, only to get the same results.  Despite it being so early in the morning, she had to see him.  She didn’t like how they had parted, but she had been too much in shock to do anything about it then.  Well, she could do something about it now.  She grabbed her car keys and headed back out the door.

 

___________________________________________________

 

The drive to LUX had never seemed so endless, even though Chloe sped as fast as she dared.  The night streets were empty, so it didn’t take long to get there -- it just felt like it.  She parked on the curb down the street and trotted to the club.  It had already closed but she knew Maze would still be up.   After what felt like an eternity banging on the door, the bartender finally opened up with a snarl.

“Stop banging!  We’re closed, you drunken bas -- “  The demon paused as she took in who was standing in front of her.  “Decker.  What the hell happened to your face?”

“I need to see Lucifer,” she said.

Chloe tried to push her way past Maze, but the bartender blocked her path, looking her up and down.  She bared her teeth at the detective.  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip out your entrails.”

Chloe’s eyes grew round, shocked at the threat.  “Why the hell do you want to rip out my entrails?”

“I warned him about you.  I should have killed you when I had the chance.”  Maze’s eyes narrowed.  “You hate him now, don’t you?  Human filth -- how dare you hurt him!”

“Mazikeen, what the _hell_ are you talking about?”

“You rejected Lucifer!”

“What?!  What are you --“

“You must have, because you saw his true face!” Maze yelled.

Chloe stared, recalling the moment when Michael had revealed Lucifer’s devil appearance.  Yes, it had been a shock, but when Lucifer lay suffering on the ground, all she had felt was compassion and a need to take away his pain.  She shook her head.  “No.  No, I... no.”

The demon studied her with hard, assessing eyes, before relaxing slightly at what she saw.  “No.  I see that now.”  She let the blonde woman into the club.  Chloe headed to the penthouse elevator and pushed the call button continuously, willing the elevator to come down fast.

Maze followed Chloe into the elevator car.  It shot upward with the two women -- Chloe waiting impatiently in front of the doors, and Maze leaning against the back wall watching her with a pitying expression on her face.  The doors opened to reveal the apartment in complete disarray.  The only thing that appeared untouched was the piano.

“What happened?” Chloe breathed, unable to believe her eyes.  If anything, the place looked worse than the time when Lucifer’s mother had come to town and he ended up beaten and broken on his piano.

“Lucifer happened.”  At Chloe’s incredulous expression, Maze elaborated as she headed toward the kitchen.  “He was angry when he came back.  He tends to act out when he’s angry.”

Chloe began to work her way through the mess, calling Lucifer’s name, but there was no responding voice -- only silence.

“Here, put this on,” Maze said, handing a bag of ice to Chloe after the blonde woman had done a complete sweep of the apartment.  “He’s not here.”

Panic washed through Chloe.  No, no, no.  Please don’t let it be what she feared.  “Where is he?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“ _Please,_ Mazikeen.”

The demon must have felt sorry for her, for she finally said, “Hell.  He’s gone back to Hell.”


	8. Tracking Down Lucifer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my amazing, amazing, awesome beta, ScooterThyme, who took some super-awkward paragraphs and made them work! Thank you!!! You're amazing!!!

 

 

“Lucifer’s gone back to Hell?”

Chloe couldn’t believe it.  It was like some nightmare.  She had just realized she loved him, and now he was gone?  This couldn’t be real.  There had to be some mistake.  He had been injured so badly; he had to be recuperating somewhere....

Maze nodded.  “He said the Hellmouth has been sealed, so he won’t be able to come back.”

At the demon’s words, Chloe’s legs buckled from underneath her, and she fell on the floor hard.  No, no, no....  That couldn’t be right.  He couldn’t be gone.  The thought of never seeing him again was unbearable.  She hadn’t even told him she loved him.  She had to make things right, tell him --

Maze looked at the detective with a stoic face, but there was hurt in her voice when she said, “He wouldn’t let me go with him.”

“Go with...?”  The detective asked blankly, not comprehending.  All her mind kept screaming was _no no no_....

“Told me to stay with Amenadiel.  Released me from my vow.  Said someone deserved to be happy.”  Maze snorted.  “Since when does the Devil care about happiness?”  The demon viciously kicked a nearby chair, shattering it.  “He’s my lord and master.  How could he abandon me like this?”

“Amenadiel... is an angel too?”  It was a statement more than a question.

“He’s been suspended, but yeah.”

Suspended...?  How did an angel...?  No.  Chloe didn’t want to know.  All she cared about was Lucifer.  But wait....  If Maze was staying with Amenadiel, and she was here, that meant he was here too.  “Where’s Amenadiel?”

Maze’s eyebrows shot up.  “Why do you care?”

Chloe pulled herself up on shaky legs.  She knew Maze didn’t approve of weakness, so she straightened her back and lifted her chin defiantly.  “Get him.  I need to talk to him.”

The demon walked right up to her and hissed, “Why should I?”

“Because you want Lucifer back.  Get him,” Chloe said firmly.  “Please.”

Maze gave the detective a considering look, and nodded.  “All right.  Wait here.”

 

___________________________________________________

 

It didn’t take long for Amenadiel to arrive in a flurry of black wings on the balcony.  He took in the damage strewn everywhere and Chloe’s bruised, distraught expression in a sweeping glance.  Concern lit his face as he walked into the apartment.

“What happened?” he asked, as he tilted her face to see the extent of her injuries.

“Michael got a little rough,” Chloe said, placing the bag of ice back on her face.  “Lucifer tried to stop him.  He saved my life.”

Amenadiel frowned.  “I heard that Lucifer’s gone back to Hell, and that you know he’s the Devil.  Michael broke suspension rules and stopped by my place, crowing about his victory.”

Chloe’s face darkened at the mention of the archangel’s name.  She wanted to hurt that blonde monster very, very badly... but that wasn’t important right now.  Her mouth tightened with determination and she swallowed hard.  “Amenadiel, I need you to take me to Hell.”

Maze and Amenadiel exchanged surprised glances.  That wasn’t what either of them had expected her to say.

“Please,” Chloe said.  “I need to see Lucifer.  He needs to come back.”

The angel spread his hands wide in a gesture of helplessness.  “I wish I could, Chloe, but you’d never survive the journey.  The heat of Hell would reduce you to ash in an instant.  It’s why only souls can go there.”

“I don’t care.  Please, I have to see him.”

Maze gave Chloe a searching look, then smiled.  “I’m impressed.  Never thought a human would be this brave.”

The blonde woman shot a glance at the demon, then looked back at the angel.  “Can’t you protect me with your... angel powers or whatever you call it?”

He shook his head.  “It doesn’t work that way.  We can travel down to Hell because we’re divine, and Father’s Grace protects us from burning.  Humans... humans just aren’t made to withstand it.  The only way I can take you down is if you’re dead, and I’m afraid your soul isn’t black enough to warrant a trip there.  You’d go straight to the Silver City before I could even try.  I’m sorry, Chloe.”

“But -- but there must be some way!” she cried.  “Please, Amenadiel!”

He shook his head.  “I’m sorry.  No.  I can’t.”

“Can you bring him back here, then?”

Amenadiel laughed harshly.  “You know as well as I do that no one can make Lucifer do anything he doesn’t want to.  He’s an immovable force.  Besides, the Hellmouth is closed to him.  There’s no way he’d be able to cross over the border to this realm.  I am sorry, Chloe.”

Maze and Amenadiel left her then.  Chloe stood alone in the ruined apartment, feeling overwhelming loss, but unable to cry.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Chloe picked up Trixie from her sleepover later that morning.  She didn’t know what to tell her daughter.  The young girl had mourned Lucifer with her for five weeks when he went missing, and now Chloe had to tell her he had left again, never to return?  No.  She would not do that to her daughter.  There had to be some way to get Lucifer back on earth again.

“Mommy, look at all the flowers!”  Trixie cried as she dashed through the house.  She came running back to Chloe, a big, teasing smile on her face.  “Are they from Lucifer?”

“Yes, Monkey, they are.”

Trixie’s face lit up.  “I knew it!  He likes you, Mommy!”

“I believe he does,” Chloe answered, trying to smile.  The young girl looked up at her mother with a knowing look in her eyes.

“And you like him too, don’t you, Mommy?”

She nodded, her heart breaking.  “Very much,” she said.

“Is he coming over today?”

“Honey, why don’t we sit down for a moment?”  Chloe led her daughter to the couch in the living room, where they sat down together.  “Lucifer... Lucifer isn’t coming.”

Trixie’s eyes grew worried.  “Has he gone away again, Mommy?”  At her mother’s nod, the little girl’s face fell.  “He said he wouldn’t go without saying goodbye.”

“I know, baby.  I’m hoping it will just be for a short while, but I want you to prepare yourself in case he’s gone a long time.”

“He is coming back though, isn’t he?” Trixie asked.  Chloe felt her heart break at her daughter’s distress.

“I don’t know, baby.  I hope so.”

Trixie leaned over and gave her mother a big hug.  “He’ll come back, Mommy.  You’ll see.  He’ll come back.”

 

___________________________________________________

 

The world seemed colorless without Lucifer in it.

Chloe went to work, but found it hard to concentrate.  Her mind kept returning to the sight of Lucifer, sprawled on the ground, injured and hurting.  There must have been something she could have done to prevent him from leaving.  He had been in so much pain, mentally and physically, and he had seemed so ashamed that Michael had revealed his Devil visage to her.

It had been shocking, seeing him like that, with his skin stripped off and muscle exposed.  For an instant, he had truly looked like the Devil.  But his eyes... his eyes had not changed.  They were still those dark eyes that she could fall into forever, only they had been filled with pain and sadness.  That sadness had called to her soul.  No matter what he looked like, he was still Lucifer.

Chloe racked her brain, trying to think of how to get him back.  When he returned from his last disappearance, he said she raised him up and brought him back from Hell.  She could see now that he’d told her the truth.  He had been in Hell, and she got him out... somehow.  But how?  Was it those strange dreams she’d had of falling?  She remembered taking his hand in the last of those dreams... and the next day he had appeared.  So she actually went to Hell to lift him out?  Could it work again?

That night, she lay in bed and tried to sleep, but it eluded her.  Although she was tired, her mind just wouldn’t shut down.  Deep breathing, trying to relax, counting sheep -- nothing worked.  By 4:00 am, she was ready to hit something.

“Damn it!” she cried to the empty room.  “Why can’t I sleep?!”

Pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes, she pushed back the tears that threatened to spill over.  She was so desperate to see Lucifer again.  Maybe she was just trying too hard?  In the end she didn’t sleep at all.  Getting up for work made her feel headachy and nauseated from the lack of sleep.  But perhaps this was a good thing -- maybe it meant that she would sleep better that night.

No dreams accompanied her sleep that night, or the night after.  She prayed that this wasn’t going to be the way it was forever.  She needed to see Lucifer and make things right.  The way they had parted haunted her.

A week passed... then two, then three.  Life went on.  Chloe got busy getting Trixie ready for the start of school.  The lieutenant started talking about assigning her a new partner, but Chloe steadfastly refused.  The only partner for her was Lucifer Morningstar.

It was when she had almost given up all hope of ever seeing him again that she Fell.

The same plunging sensation pulled her down in her dream, taking her to that hot, ash-filled place full of stone.  Before she knew it, she was running through the corridors of Hell.  She searched frantically for Lucifer, without success.  Up and down she went, passing strange and grotesque creatures, but he was nowhere to be found.  After what seemed like a lifetime of searching, she felt the familiar upward vertigo that yanked her toward reality, and home.

Chloe woke up with a jolt.  The hot, acrid air still burned in her lungs and she could almost feel the horrible heat of Hell.  It took her a minute to realize she was at home, in her own bed.  Why couldn’t she find Lucifer?  Where had he gone?  The last time it had been so easy to find him, and now....  Now it was like he was hiding from her.

She decided to talk to Amenadiel.  After dropping Trixie off at school, she headed over to LUX.

Maze met her in the bar, looking the same as usual.  When Chloe asked to see Lucifer’s brother, the demon waved at the elevator that led to the penthouse.  “I’ll send him to you.  Just go up.”

It had been a long time since Chloe had been in the apartment.  The last time she had seen it, it had been torn apart by Lucifer’s rage.  When the doors opened, though, she was surprised to find it restored to its former glory.  It was almost as if Lucifer had never left... but the air was still and quiet.  There was no life there.  Chloe took a seat at Lucifer’s piano.  Sitting there made her feel closer to him, somehow.

There was a whoosh of feathers, and then Amenadiel stood on the balcony in all his angelic glory.  He entered the apartment, hailing her with a greeting.  “Chloe.  It’s been a while.”

“Sorry for not staying in touch,” she said.

The angel stood next to the piano and said, “What can I do for you?”

“Have you seen Lucifer?”

Amenadiel nodded.  “He’s... not doing well.  He can’t... well, he doesn’t look like how you remember.”

Hope, like a fragile thing, beat in her chest.  “Does he ask about... about here?”

“Sometimes he asks about you and Trixie, but I think it hurts him.  He’s half-dead, half-alive, Chloe.  You wouldn’t recognize him.”

Distress flooded through Chloe at the thought of Lucifer’s pain.  Hopefully, though, she would be able to find him -- see him -- again.  She bit her lower lip.  “Where does he stay?  Does he walk the corridors?”

The angel looked at her sharply.  “What do you mean?”

“The corridors, where the stone cells are.  Does he walk there?”

“How do you know about that?”

Would he believe her?  After a long pause, Chloe confessed, “I think I’ve been to Hell.”

Amenadiel straightened, stunned.  “What?”

“I dream of Hell.  I think I actually go there, somehow.”

The angel laughed at her statement.  “Chloe, I think you have an overactive imagination.”

The detective shook her head.  “You can think what you like.  Just tell me... where does he stay?”

“Sometimes the throne room,” he said, thinking.  “Other times, he stays in his private chambers.  The few times I visited there, he wasn’t out and about.  He doesn’t venture out much, as far as I could see. “

“Thank you, Amenadiel.”  Chloe stood up.  “I appreciate your coming.”

“It’s always a pleasure, Chloe.  I hope I was of some help.”  With that, the angel flew off and was gone.

Chloe left the piano and looked around.  Memories inundated her.  Standing still in the quiet apartment, she could almost see Lucifer walking around, playing the piano, and drinking his Scotch.  The images of him were so overwhelming, she wanted to cry with rage and loss, but she didn’t.  Instead, she went into his master closet and looked at the multitude of suits still resting there.  She pulled a jacket off the rack, and looked at the label.  Prada.  A chuckle escaped her.  She should have known.

The jacket came home with her, and ended up in bed with her that night.  It made Chloe feel like he was lying beside her.  Hugging the material close to her, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come.

It took a long time, but when she did finally sleep, she Fell once again.  She didn’t know where Lucifer was, but oddly, it seemed easy to hone in on him.  Chloe found herself walking along a long corridor that led to a huge room.

The chamber was opulent, far more beautiful than the apartment at LUX, but not overly ornate.  A lit fireplace on the wall farthest from her illuminated the vast quarters.  Shadows flickered on the walls from the dancing flames.  In a far corner was an magnificently carved stone bed with a fully-dressed man lying on top of the covers, with his back to her.  Almost as if sensing her presence, he glanced over his shoulder.

“I don’t believe it,” he said in a hoarse voice, before turning back toward the wall.  A bitter laugh escaped him.  “Bloody hell.  The torture never ends, apparently.  Dad must be laughing his bloody head off.”

Chloe’s heart jumped at Lucifer’s voice -- he sounded so good to her ears.  She had missed him desperately.

Slowly so as not to scare him off, she approached the bed and sat down next to the prone man.  Her heart bled at the sight of Lucifer.  From what she could see, all the skin on his head looked burned off, showing nothing but sinewy muscle.  It was shocking, but she found that she wasn’t afraid.  She blinked as she noticed his clothes.  He wore a custom-tailored suit with the same jacket that she had gone to bed with.

“Are you really here?” he asked.  “Why did you -- No.  Don’t answer that.  Just... leave me alone.  Leave me be.”

Although he kept his face averted, she could see his tormented expression.  As if he could feel her scrutiny, he squeezed his eyes shut and huddled further away from her.

“Please, Detective... please don’t... don’t look at me.”  Pain laced every one of his words, and it tore her heart.  Wanting so much to give comfort, she reached out and rested her hand on his arm.  Just as she touched him, the vertigo pulled at her insides, and she was flying up, up, up....


	9. Small Miracles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for such nice comments!! I really appreciate all of you reading my tale about Lucifer and Chloe, and I am so thankful for you all. You made me really happy. You are all AWESOME and you ROCK!! I hope this chapter is everything you all hoped it would be! (But part 3 is not over yet -- still 3 chapters left!)
> 
> And a big BIG thank you to my beta, ScooterThyme for helping me clean this up and making it shine! You are amazing!!! :D

 

 

“Detective.”

Chloe awoke when she heard Lucifer’s warm, familiar voice.  She wanted to cry at the sound.  Sitting up in bed with his jacket clutched to her, she wondered if she had dreamed it.  Her eyes darted left and right, looking for its source.

In the darkest corner of the room, a man sat on the floor.  He had wrapped the throw from her bed around him like a cloak, covering his head completely from view.  His arms rested on his bent knees, and his head was bowed low.  From what she could see, he wore an expensive, custom suit with gold cufflinks.  The hands were bare, red and skinless, with a ring on the middle finger of his right hand.

“Lucifer,” Chloe said breathlessly, her heart beating wildly.  She started to get up off the bed, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“Do you know how hard it is, to be here like this and see you --“  He broke off.   “Why did you bring me back?” he asked wearily.  “Why?”

_ Because I love you _ sat unspoken between them.  Chloe wanted to tell him about how she felt, but she had the impression that it would just scare him away at this point.  It was best to tread carefully. 

“I can’t stay here,” Lucifer said, followed by the thought:   _ Not when you think I’m a monster. _

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  It felt like forever since cool night air had last rushed into his lungs.  He leaned his head back, still hidden in the blanket, and looked at Chloe.  His beautiful Chloe... forever out of reach.  But at least he could look at her now and remember her like this -- in her nightshirt with her hair in disarray, her features illuminated by moonlight.  It would replace the last image he had of her -- of her white, horrified face.

“You didn’t say goodbye,” she said.  “Remember, when you came back from Hell the last time?  You told Trixie you wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

He laughed harshly.  “I didn’t think it was necessary.  You know what I am.  The Devil.”

Chloe nodded.  “Yes.  I know.”

“And you believe I’m everything everyone says I am now, don’t you?  Evil Incarnate.  Sitting on everyone’s shoulder and encouraging murder, mayhem and all the rest of the bloody things you humans do to each other,” he said bitterly and shook his head.  “I thought you were different, but you’re just like all the rest.”

“I’m not.  Lucifer, I don’t believe that of you.”

“Please,” he scoffed, “You can’t expect me to think anything else, can you?  I saw your face.  I know you think me a bloody monster.”

“No.  I don’t.”  Chloe moved to the edge of the bed facing him, sitting with her legs hanging down and just brushing the floor.  He was like a wild, injured animal -- hurt and striking out because of it.  She was afraid of moving too fast, for fear of spooking him.

“Don’t lie to me, Detective.  Please give me the same courtesy that I extended to you.”

She inched forward a little more, until her feet were resting on the floor.  “I’m not lying, Lucifer.  Why would I lie?  Why would I bring you back if I thought you were evil?”

“I don’t know -- you enjoy torturing me?  Or maybe dear old Dad put you up to it?”  He laughed, but it was an ugly sound.  “I wish he would just leave me alone.”  Lucifer looked at Chloe, and his voice was sad.  “Please, Detective.  Just... let me go back.  I know now it’s where I belong.”

Chloe shook her head.  “No.  It’s not.  I know what you are, Lucifer.”

“The Devil.  A monster.”

“No.  A good man.”  She smiled a little.  “You’re also an impossibly frustrating one who keeps leaving, but a good man.  You don’t belong in Hell, Lucifer.  Never there.”

He watched her as she slid off the bed and sat on her knees at his feet.  Her face was full of gentleness and grace.  It made him wish for things he couldn’t have.  He knew he had to go back, but she was his sun, his light.  He loved her so much; to see her like this, just out of reach, was torture.  He would gladly endure it, though, if he could just spend another few moments with her.  Each passing day without her had chipped away at him, killing him slowly.  The weeks away had truly been hell.

“Look at me.  I look like the monster everyone thinks I am, Detective,” he said.  His mouth twisted.  “Evil Incarnate, remember?  What’s to stop you from thinking it too?” 

Chloe shook her head, the small smile on her face growing.  “Others may think that, Lucifer, but I know the truth.”  She inched closer -- so close she could touch his knees, if she wished to.  “Trixie misses you, you know.”

“Ah, your little spawn.  I... I miss....”  Lucifer dropped his head, unable to continue.  He said instead, “Tell her goodbye from me.”

“You tell her yourself.  Come back, Lucifer.  Come back to us.  To me.”

A warmth spread through Lucifer’s chest.  No one had ever welcomed him or wanted him -- not really.  Oh, there were the people who slept with him, but it was all superficial and meant nothing.  His siblings shunned him.  His father saw him only as a tool to be used.  But here was this human, this beautiful woman reaching out to him -- to  _ him! _  The Devil!  He felt hot tears prick the back of his eyes.

She edged closer, until she was beside him.  With gentle hands, she started pulling back the throw that hid his head.   He recoiled a bit and leaned away, but she didn’t stop until the covering fell away, revealing his Devil visage.  Lucifer couldn’t meet her eyes, averting his face from her.  He waited to hear her gasp of horror, but none came.  He chanced a peek at her in the moonlight.  She met his gaze unflinchingly, looking upon him with warm, caring eyes that were filled with some emotion that he was too afraid to name.

“Oh my,” she whispered as she studied the skinless flesh that covered his head.  It looked incredibly painful.  “Does it hurt?”

“Sometimes,” Lucifer said.  “It happened so long ago....  Most of the time it’s a dull ache.  Other times, it... burns.”

“How did this happen?” she asked.  His dark eyes regarded her, full of fear... and hope.

“Th-This... this happened during the Fall,” he stammered.  “Father took away his Grace so I didn’t have any protection.  Hell burned everything away, all over.  My glamour.... is how I used to look, before....”  Tearing his gaze away, he said sadly, “But Michael... he did something... My glamour is broken.  I... I can’t get it back.”

Chloe looked at him, her expression soft and concerned.  “Does it matter so much?”

“Well, look at me!  I look like the Devil that I am!  I bloody well can’t go anywhere like this, can I?” he said bitterly, squeezing his eyes shut.  “Hell’s the only place left for me, now.”

A soft caress on his cheek had him jumping.  Fear filled him.  Fear of her revulsion, and of wanting more than he could have.  With lightning fast reflexes, he caught her hand and held it away.  “No.  Don’t.  Please.”

She just smiled kindly and eased his hand away from hers.  “You once asked me if I trusted you.  Do you trust me?” she asked.

He swallowed hard and nodded.  “You’re the only one I trust.”

“Then show me.  Trust me, Lucifer.  I’m not going to hurt you.”

Her hand was warm as it cupped his cheek and turned his head toward her.  “Do you think this matters to me?”  Chloe took his head in her hands and held it steady as she looked deep into his eyes.  “It’s just the outside, not the inside.  You are still you, Lucifer.  You’re still the beautiful, kind man I fell in love with.  This --“ she caressed his skinless face, “ -- doesn’t make any difference.”

He stared at her, unable to believe his ears.  “You... you love me?”

Nodding, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. 

Lucifer felt his heart burst from emotion.  He closed his eyes as he reveled in the feel of her lips against his.  It was a gentle kiss, like nothing he had ever felt before.  It wasn’t lustful or erotic; instead, it was as if Heaven had brushed up against him.  It felt like... home. 

She pulled away before he could react, and pressed a kiss against his forehead like a benediction.

Tears fell from his eyes as some emotion that he couldn’t identify washed through him.  Lucifer couldn’t believe that Chloe was actually accepting him for what he was.  It defied belief.  All this time he had told himself that she would fear and hate him, and here she was, loving him....

“Your little spawn is going to run away screaming when she sees me,” Lucifer said in a voice thick with emotions as he struggled to control his feelings.

Chloe shook her head.  “It may take her a while to get used to it, but she’s a Decker.  We Decker women are tougher than we look.”

A smile touched Lucifer’s face.  “You are indeed.”

“If it really bothers you, we can get you a Phantom of the Opera mask,” she added with a chuckle.

He cringed.  “Ha bloody ha.”

“Hey.”  She wiped the tears from his cheeks.  “Don’t worry.  Trixie loves you.  I love you.  We can work through this.  Just trust us.”

Pulling her into an embrace, Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut and held on for dear life.  How had he gotten so incredibly lucky to have met her?  Someone must have been looking out for him.  Well, not Dad, obviously, but someone....

For a long time they sat on the floor together, wrapped in each other’s arms.  Eventually Chloe snuggled against Lucifer and dropped off to sleep, while he kept his cheek pressed against her hair and sat in wonder at the events of the night.

He didn’t know how much time had passed -- two hours, maybe three -- when he felt a strange warmth around his torso.  It didn’t feel... normal.  Something deep inside of him started to shift, realign itself, and... heal.  Opening his eyes, he saw a soft white glow surrounding him where Chloe’s hands touched him.  What  _ was _ that?  He was almost afraid to move, in case it suddenly disappeared.  Taking a deep breath, he gently nudged the sleeping woman beside him.

“Chloe.”

She stirred.  “Mmm?”

“Detective, wake up,” he urged.

“Do I have to?” she slurred sleepily and snuggled closer to him.

Her hands felt hotter against him, and the glow was getting stronger.  “Yes.  Come on, love, open your eyes.”

She finally roused to see Lucifer radiating a soft light where her hands touched him.

“What’s happening?” she asked.

With wide eyes, he exchanged glances with her.  “I don’t know.”

Chloe looked as bewildered as he felt.  “But this is your doing, isn’t it?” she asked.

Lucifer shook his head, speechless.

“Oh my,” Chloe breathed.  The glow was spreading over Lucifer, growing brighter and brighter, until she couldn’t see anymore and had to turn away.  As the light faded, she gasped in amazement.  “Lucifer!”

He blinked at her, puzzled at her astonished look.  The moonlight illuminated her face, and he could see she wore a big, wide smile.  Grabbing his hand, she hauled him up to his feet and pulled him into the bathroom.  The light blinded him when she turned it on, and he blinked fiercely as his eyes tried to adjust.  Chloe turned him toward the mirror.  He looked at himself.  His familiar, human face stared back at him.  He touched his cheek, almost fearfully.  It wasn’t just a glamour -- his angelic appearance was fully restored, through and through.

“What the hell...?” he whispered as he felt his face, then ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair.  “What the bloody fucking hell?!”

Chloe’s laughter rang out like bells as he whipped off his suit jacket and shirt to look at his chest.  His skin wasn’t burned off.  He was whole again -- everywhere.   He started taking off his pants, to make sure.

“What are you doing?!” Chloe asked with a laugh, her hands resting over his to stop him.

“Right.  I have to make sure everything is in order,” he said breathlessly, still in shock over what had happened.

She shook her head.  “No way, Mister.  Not with Trixie in the house.  Your pants stay on.”

Lucifer smiled and nodded sheepishly.  He still couldn’t believe it.  Even his wings felt renewed as he shook them out.  Spinning around in a blink of an eye, he caught Chloe up in his arms and held her close, laughing and twirling her around like an idiot in the small bathroom.

“What -- how did you...?”  He couldn’t even speak when he finally set her down.  “What was that glow?”

She shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears of joy.  “I don’t know.  I don’t know what that was.  It was you, wasn’t it?”

Shaking his head, he stared at her in wonder.  “What  _ are _ you, Chloe Decker?”

But she wasn’t listening.   She was looking at his large wings with awe in her eyes.  Her expression made Lucifer feel like he was ten feet tall.  He puffed out his chest with pride and flexed his wings in the cramped space.  Her gasp and her amazed expression were everything he could have ever wanted.

“Oh, Lucifer,” she whispered, reaching a shaking hand toward the white feathers.  “Can I...?”

Lucifer smiled.  “You can do whatever you like, love.”

Chloe stroked the white feathers gently.  They felt like the softest down.  Beautiful.  They were beautiful.   _ He _ was beautiful.

Her soft touch sent shivers down Lucifer’s spine and he leaned into it, like a contented cat.  Chloe could have spent the rest of her life just stroking those giant wings, but knew she had to stop.  It was going to lead to something she wasn’t quite ready for -- not with Trixie in the house.  With one final caress, she pulled her hand back. 

Lucifer immediately felt bereft at the loss of contact.  He gathered her up in his arms and held her close, wrapping them both in the shelter of his wings.  Gratitude and warmth filled his chest.  They stayed like that for a long while, before Lucifer finally asked in a happy voice, “So we can have sex now?”

“Dinner first,” Chloe said with a teasing smile.  “I’d like to see the Devil do romance.”

Lucifer shouted with laughter before bending to kiss her.


	10. Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge THANK YOU to the most awesome of all betas, ScooterThyme! You really make my work shine! Thank you!!!

 

 

Lucifer spent the rest of the night just holding Chloe in his arms.  He surprised himself with his restraint.  Her warmth and nearness filled him with happiness.  It was very satisfying just watching her sleep, which was strange for someone who was used to having sex non-stop all night.  But it felt right.

Before dawn, though, his worries came back to roost.

He had to face Michael -- of that, there was no question.  His brother was probably already aware of his escape from Hell, and would come looking for him.  Chloe and her child were his main concern -- their safety was paramount.  Michael had targeted the detective the last time; Lucifer wasn’t sure how he had known about Chloe, but he couldn’t have that happen again.  No, the archangel had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Lucifer swore to give his brother a good pounding, but what if Michael decided to use the Sword of Heaven against him?  All bets of surviving were off, then.  Would he end up in Hell if he died?  Would Dad send him into exile somewhere else?  Or would he just... cease to exist?  The thought of never seeing Chloe and Trixie again made him ill.  They were the most important people in his life.

This was a battle he had to win.  If he lost, it would be the end of his world.

As the sun came up and brightened the room, Lucifer gently released Chloe so as not to wake her, eased himself out of bed, and dressed.  The thought of caramel apple pancakes wouldn’t leave him alone, so he padded barefoot into the kitchen to see if all the ingredients were there.  Luckily there were apples and everything else he needed.  Right.  First the caramel sauce, then the pancakes.  He could hear the world waking up around him, and Chloe’s voice calling to Trixie.  The sounds of domesticity reverberated through Lucifer, filling him with pleasure.  How something so small could make him so happy was a mystery to him.

“Lucifer!”

Trixie, fresh out of bed, barreled into the tall man as he poured pancake batter onto a griddle.  She gave him a huge, welcoming hug around his waist as he struggled not to spill batter on her head.  Lucifer smiled, and gave a bit of a laugh.

“Hello, child,” he greeted, setting the bowl on the counter and wiping his hands on the towel thrown over his shoulder.

“I knew you’d come back!” she cried.  “I really missed you.  Will you please stop going away? It makes Mommy and me sad.”

Lucifer’s heart squeezed.  “I can’t make any promises, little one.”

“Why can’t you promise?” Trixie asked him.

“Yes, why can’t you promise?”

Lucifer turned to see Chloe, already dressed for work, leaning against the counter.  Unlike her daughter, she looked... annoyed.  He glanced at her, then down at her daughter, then back at her again, at a sudden loss for words.  “Ah, yes, well, because....”

“Trixie, why don’t you get ready for school?  I’m sure breakfast will be ready by the time you get out,” Chloe said.  Her daughter nodded once and ran off into her room.

Chloe’s eyes narrowed as she walked up until she was practically nose-to-nose with Lucifer.  “Why can’t you promise?”

“Frustrated from no sex, Detective?” he asked and grinned.  “We can still rectify that, you know.”

Chloe gave him the evil eye.  “Don’t change the subject.  Why can’t you promise?”

Lucifer turned away from her and sighed.  “Because I have to face my brother and I don’t know how that’s going to end.”  He flipped the pancakes, then frowned.  They had burned.  Bloody hell....  He’d have to start again.  He scraped them off and reached for the bowl of batter.  He had wanted to make one good meal for Chloe and her spawn before he went to face Michael.

He paused for a moment, his eyes unseeing as he remembered the past.  “Do you know, Detective, we used to be close?”  He smiled ruefully as he stirred the batter.  “Well, I thought we were, at the very beginning....  He would form the stars and I would light them.”  His expression darkened.  “And then it all changed.”  Lucifer looked at Chloe then, with a wry smile that belied his sadness.  “And look at us now.  We hate each other.”

Biting his lower lip for a moment, he finally said with determination, “This is one fight I can’t afford to lose, but....”  He looked at her.

Chloe held his gaze steadily, suddenly worried about what he was going to say.  “But?”

“It’s possible I may die, or end up back in Hell.  I don’t know.  Dying doesn’t scare me, but I want you to know....”  He tapered off.  For a long moment he said nothing, turning his attention instead to the food.  He gave a little laugh that had no humor in it.  “My entire life, I’ve never had anyone.  No one has ever cared about me, Detective -- not really.  It would have been lovely had Dad or my siblings cared, but... they don’t.”

He said it so matter-of-factly that Chloe knew it was true.  Her heart bled for the man in front of her.

“This is the first time that someone has really -- that I....”  Lucifer suddenly gave a self-conscious laugh as he divided the pancakes onto three plates.  “Bloody hell, this is hard.”

Chloe reached out and gave his arm a squeeze.  It gave him courage, so he started again.  “Right.  I have to fight Michael.  It’s been in the cards since Dad made me his left hand, and Michael his right.  But you and your little one, you fill me with such -- such....  Look, if I don’t make it, I just....  I just want you to know that I lo--”

Trixie came running out of her room at that moment.  The little girl skidded into the kitchen, took one look at the faces on the adults, and frowned.

“What’s going on?”

The moment was lost, and Chloe winced at the bad timing.  Lucifer suddenly looked awkward and took the plates to the table.  She wondered what he had been trying to say.

“Right.  Let’s dine, shall we?” Lucifer called out, interrupting her thoughts.

The conversation stuck to mundane affairs for the rest of breakfast.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Lucifer sat in the back seat of the car with Trixie while Chloe drove her to school.  The little girl stayed close to him as if she was afraid he would disappear again, even holding onto his arm while she filled him in on all the news he had missed.

“...and Missy Elliot was making fun of me, so I kicked her the other day after school.  Mommy scolded me for that, but she deserved it.”

“Indeed?  Well done, child.”

“Don’t encourage her, Lucifer,” Chloe said as she glanced at the pair in the rear view mirror.  Expecting to see a completely bored look on Lucifer’s face, she was surprised to see him giving Trixie his full attention.  To see them getting along so well together filled Chloe with warmth.

“Oh and Mommy filed for divorce from Daddy.  Daddy’s not happy, but --“

“Just hold on a moment,” Lucifer said, interrupting her.  “Can you repeat that for me?”

“Mommy and Daddy are getting a divorce.”

A huge grin lit the tall man’s face.  “Lovely!  Do tell!”

“Daddy did some bad things so Mommy’s mad at him.  He’s sad, and I’m sad because I won’t be seeing Daddy as much, but you get in trouble when you do bad things.”

“That’s right,” Chloe agreed.  She looked up in the mirror again.  Lucifer was staring back at her, beaming devilishly with unholy glee in his eyes.  “You don’t have to look so happy,” she admonished him.

“Well, you can’t expect me to say I’m sorry about it.  It’s about time you ditched the douche,” Lucifer said.  His heart was pounding furiously with excitement.  No more having to worry about whether they were going to get back together again!

Chloe rolled her eyes.  “Dan is Trixie’s dad, Lucifer.  Can you please not say things like that in front of her?”

“It’s okay, Mommy.  I can handle it,” Trixie chimed in, which earned her an even bigger smile from the man next to her.

Looking heavenward with a shake of her head, Chloe pulled up at the curb in front of the school.  “Here we are, Monkey.  Be good, okay?”  She called after her daughter as she climbed out of the car.

“Okay.  Bye, Mommy!  Bye, Lucifer!  Don’t forget, minimum day today!” the little girl hollered as she ran off.

“Oh, that’s right,” Chloe groaned as Lucifer climbed into the passenger seat beside her.  At his inquisitive look, she elaborated: “I have to pick her up today at 12:30.”

“Ah.  So... you’re not going in to work, then?”

“I do need to stop in for a few hours.  Why?”

“Right.  Can you drop me off at LUX?”  Lucifer asked.  “I want to see how the club is doing, and all that.  Got to check up on my demon as well.”  _And talk to Amenadiel_ , he mentally added.

“Sure.”

They sat in companionable silence as she drove, until Lucifer finally said, “Detective, perhaps you and your spawn should leave town for a few days.”

Chloe shot a glance at him.  “You’re worried.”

“Mm.”  He looked out the window, his eyes blind to the passing scenery.  “Mike went after you before.  That mustn’t happen again.”

A stubborn expression crossed Chloe’s face.  “Lucifer, I’m not going to leave and have you face him alone.”

Frustration gnawed at the tall man.  “Detective, please.  You can’t fight him -- he’s an angel.  And not just an angel, a bloody archangel!  What do you think your puny human weapons can do to him?”

Silence descended between them.  Chloe could see his point, but she didn’t want to abandon Lucifer.  She wanted to help, and said so.

Lucifer shook his head.  “There’s nothing you can do, Detective, except leave for a few days.  I’ll get this cleaned up, and then I will call you.  I give you my word.”  Just then, they pulled up in front of LUX.  “Please just do as I ask,” he said as he jumped out of the car, not giving her a chance to respond.

“Wait -- Lucifer!“  She called after him, but he merely waved and kept on walking away.

Completely frustrated, Chloe pulled away from the curb with a roar.  Ugh, men!  Sometimes they drove her completely nuts.

 

___________________________________________________

 

Lucifer sauntered into the club, his eyes searching for Maze.  Spotting his demon polishing shot glasses by the bar, he wandered over quietly and took a seat behind her.

“We’re clos -- Lucifer!” Maze cried as she turned and saw the fallen angel.

Grinning like a fool, he said, “Hello, Maze.”

She gaped at him.  “How did you -- when did you --“

“Just got back.  Couldn’t resist the fine Southern California weather.”

A sexy smirk touched the demon’s mouth as she said, “I knew Hell couldn’t hold you.  You have more lives than a cat.”

“Well, I am a lucky Devil, that’s for certain,” Lucifer said with a chuckle.  He grinned back at her, then became all business.  “Right.  Is my bro around?  I need to talk to him.”

“I’ll get him for you.  Go on up,” Maze said as she waved at the penthouse elevator.

Lucifer had to admit, the flat looked far better than when he had left it.  Maze was top-notch when it came to keeping things in order.  Pouring himself a Scotch at the bar, he savored the drink before downing it and pouring himself another.  The sound of flapping wings announced his brother’s arrival as Lucifer had his third shot.

Turning, he gave Amenadiel a salute with his glass before downing the alcohol.

“Luci!” Amenadiel cried.  “How did you -- did Father...?”

“It most certainly was _not_ Dad,” Lucifer said.  “It does feel good to be back, I must say.”

Amenadiel walked into the flat, amazement on his face.  “I thought the Hellmouth was closed to you.”

“Oh it still is, but nothing keeps a good Devil down,” he quipped.

“And your glamour...?  How did you fix --  Did Father...?“

A harsh laugh escaped Lucifer.  “Again with Dad?  You have the most ridiculous faith in him, don’t you?  He’s hardly one to give a helping hand, the bloody bastard.”

Amenadiel frowned.  “Luci, you shouldn’t say things like that about our father.”

The fallen angel shrugged.  “Just calling it as I see it, bro.  But enough of that.  I have a problem.”

“Michael?”

“Precisely.”  Lucifer set down his old-fashioned glass and walked up to his brother.  “I need a one-on-one with him as soon as possible.  Mano a mano and all that.”

“He probably already knows you’re here,” Amenadiel said.

“Yes, but where the bloody hell is he, then?”  The fallen angel threw out his hands in frustration.  “Come on, Amenadiel, maybe you can talk to him?  Get him to face me right now...?”

“Michael does things in his own time -- you know that, Luci.”

Running a hand over his face, Lucifer tried to calm down.  Although he wanted to get the confrontation over with, it didn’t look like he was going to get his wish.  “Bloody hell,” he muttered.

“Be patient, Brother.  I know it’s not in your nature, but the ball is in his court now.  I doubt you’ll have to wait long.”

 

___________________________________________________

 

Chloe picked up Trixie from school at lunch time and started driving home.  Her daughter chattered about her day; Chloe listened with one ear.  She was worried about Lucifer.  The conversation from the morning replayed in her head.  That he thought he might die and was preparing for it scared her.  She had to help him somehow, but how?  Human weapons were useless against the divine....

Realizing her daughter had stopped talking, she called back to the little girl.  “What do you want for lunch, Trixie?”

“In-N-Out!” Trixie squealed.

When they made a quick detour to the fast food hamburger joint, Trixie asked Chloe if Lucifer was going to go missing again.  “I really want him to stay, Mommy,” she said.  “Why does he always have to leave?”

“Someday, Monkey, I’ll tell you all about it,” she hedged.  Chloe wasn’t sure what she should tell her little girl.   _Lucifer’s the Devil_ just didn’t sit right with her.  Lucifer’s a fallen angel?  Lucifer is not human?  Telling Trixie that Lucifer was an alien might be more believable.  A sigh escaped her.  This was one conversation she was not looking forward to.  Maybe Lucifer could explain it all to Trixie, if -- no, when -- he survived.

When they got home, Trixie ran into the house ahead of her, laughing and saying she wanted to do something fun with her half day.  Chloe followed slowly, smiling at her daughter’s exuberance.  She pushed the front door open.

Michael stood there, his big bulk dwarfing the small entryway.  He held Trixie pinned in front of him, with his hands holding her shoulders tightly from behind.  Fear was written all over the little girl’s features.  The blood drained from Chloe’s face, leaving her ash white.

“Hello, Chloe Decker,” the angel greeted.


	11. Two Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you ScooterThyme, the best beta in the universe! You are awesome!! Thank you!

 

 

“Mommy, I’m scared,” Trixie whispered.

Chloe and Trixie sat in a small cage in the middle of a field.  Their prison was small -- they could sit together, but that was about it.  Where or how Lucifer’s brother had gotten it, Chloe had no idea and didn’t care.  Michael had stuffed her into the back of a U-Haul van along with the cage, while keeping Trixie close at hand in the front with the driver.  They had ridden for an hour or so.  When they stopped, Chloe had tried to signal the driver that they needed help, but he didn’t seem to notice.  Once he unloaded his cargo, he had driven off.  Now they were stranded with the big blonde angel.

Rolling hills surrounded them, giving no clue as to their location.  They could have been anywhere.  No one was around for miles, except Michael, who sat on the ground in jeans and a tee shirt, waiting.  A large sheathed broadsword attached to a sword belt lay on the ground beside him.

“Lucifer will be here soon,” Chloe said as she gave her daughter a hug.

“You better pray to Father he gets here soon, before I lose my patience,” snarled Michael as he overheard their conversation.

Trixie hugged her mother harder, clutching her shaking hands around Chloe’s waist.  “He scares me,” she said.

“He won’t hurt you, baby,” Chloe replied, and hoped she wasn’t wrong.

Michael was an absolute monster -- the detective was convinced of that.  How he could even be related to Lucifer was something she just couldn’t understand.  Then again, from what she knew of Lucifer’s family, almost all of them were mad.  Amenadiel seemed like the only normal angel besides Lucifer, and he was in love with a demon, so... who knew.

The roar of a car interrupted her thoughts.  She looked up to see Lucifer’s Corvette practically fly over the rise of a hill and speed down the dirt road leading to the open field.  Skidding to a stop when the road ended, the lithe man leaped out of the convertible easily and started walking toward them, anger in every movement.

Michael stood to meet him.  When Lucifer was within twenty feet of them, the angel hailed him.  “That’s far enough, Brother.”

“Why the bloody hell are you involving these humans, Mike?” Lucifer’s glance went from his brother to Chloe and Trixie in the small cage.  A quick assessment told him they seemed unharmed, and relief swept through him.

His brother smiled.  “Because you care about them.”

“They have nothing to do with this.  Let them go.”

Michael shook his head.  “No, they stay.”  He looked at Lucifer carefully.  “I see you fixed your glamour.  Didn’t think you could.”

The fallen angel said nothing, merely looked at the archangel.

“Which is a shame,” the blonde man continued.  “I would have liked the world to see you as you really are.”

“What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Mike?”  Lucifer said.  “We used to be close.  How did it come to this?”

Michael snorted.  “We were never close, Brother.  You just thought we were.  So stupid and trusting.”

The fallen angel stared at his brother, trying to reach him.  “We used to make the stars together.”

The archangel just waved it off.  “That was before, Luci.  Those days are dead and gone.”

“Before what?”

Michael roared, “Before you became the favorite!  I had to live in your shadow millennia upon millennia, always being told that you were the best and the brightest, you were the lightbringer, you were the greatest of Father’s children -- I hated you for that.  No one even cared about anything I did -- it was always you!  Now I want you to feel the pain that I did.  And if I have to kill these --“ he pointed to Chloe and Trixie, “-- human worms to do it, I will!”

Lucifer’s fury rose up like tidal wave.  “Right.  Fine.  Look, you want to kill me, I want to kill you.  Let’s just bloody get on with it.”

Reaching down without taking his eyes off the fallen angel, Michael picked up the sword and buckled it on.  Lucifer recognized it by its size alone.  The Sword of Heaven.  His brother wasn’t playing around this time.

With a nonchalance completely at odds with the tension in the air, Lucifer calmly removed his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt.  Michael whipped off his tee shirt in a furious movement.

“What are they doing, Mommy?” Trixie asked as they watched the two men.

Chloe didn’t answer, but she knew and was afraid for Lucifer.

Lucifer draped his jacket and shirt carefully on the ground and shook out his wings.  They stretched wide, looking intimidating in the sunlight.  Michael did the same, and they circled each other like two birds of prey, ready to strike at any given moment.

Trixie gasped at the sight.  “Mommy, Lucifer’s an angel!” she breathed reverently.  At her mother’s nod, she asked, “But the bad man is an angel too?”

“Unfortunately.”

The two angels squared off, sizing each other up.  Lucifer’s attention was divided between Michael and the occupants in the cage.  Getting Chloe and Trixie to safety was his first priority -- that and getting far enough away from the detective so that he wasn’t mortal.  Luckily Michael didn’t know about his mortality situation... at least, he hoped not.

Lucifer feinted toward the cage then burst into flight in the other direction, trying to lead his brother off.  Michael took off in pursuit, so the fallen angel banked and soared up and away.  The other angel followed for a short distance, then changed directions, heading back toward Chloe and Trixie.  Faster than the eye could track, Lucifer swung around and dove straight for him.  He almost had a hand on his brother when Michael twisted out and away, flying downward and grabbing the top of the cage.  With a sudden jolt, he tore it upward.  Chloe and Trixie screamed as they went airborne with the archangel.

Panic filled Lucifer as he gave chase.  The cage was heavy -- it slowed Michael down considerably as he flew upwards.  In a few seconds the fallen angel had caught up, and caught the side bars of the cage, looking quickly at the occupants.  They seemed unhurt.  Terrified, but unhurt.  Chloe’s eyes were wild with fright; Trixie had her head buried in her mother’s chest.

“You can’t kill them, Michael!  It’s one of Dad’s tenets!” Lucifer yelled to his brother as he gripped the bars tightly and tried to slow down Michael’s ascent.

“Who said I’m going to kill them?” Michael laughed, pulling the barred prison and his brother ever higher.  “If they die, it will be on your head, not mine.  After all, it’s not my fault that you’re playing tug of war with me!”

With a mighty yank, Michael ripped the cage out of Lucifer’s hands and threw it hard. It arced high in the sky before falling back toward the earth. Chloe clutched Trixie tightly to her as she braced for impact.  As they fell, she looked up and saw Lucifer speeding toward them like a bullet.  Flying even with them, he grabbed the top of the cage and soared upwards, pulling it out of its descent.

Chloe let out a sigh of relief, until Michael came out of nowhere and barreled into Lucifer, knocking him away from the metal enclosure.  Back in freefall again, she and her daughter started screaming.

But not for long.  Lucifer recovered in a heartbeat and slammed into his brother before taking control of the cage.  He had to get them on the ground and out of the metal deathtrap.  He flapped his wings hard, trying to put distance between his pursuer as he started a descent.

“Hang on!” he yelled at them as he got them low enough for a landing.  He couldn’t afford to give them a soft touchdown -- Michael was coming.

They came in too fast, but Lucifer grabbed the bars of the cage and spread his wings wide, slowing them down.  Dirt flew up as the barred prison dug a huge divot in the ground, but it stayed upright until they stopped abruptly.

Lucifer ripped the barred door off of the cage and looked in, his eyes wild with fear.  “Chloe!  Beatrice!” he yelled.

Chloe slowly looked up from the back of the cage, as did Trixie, both of them trying to catch their breath after the wild ride.  “We’re okay,” Chloe yelled back, just when Michael struck Lucifer and sent him flying.

The dark-haired angel recovered quickly, pulling himself to his feet.  With eyes that burned with fire and rage, he charged his brother.  He managed to knock the hulking angel away from the metal enclosure, which gave Chloe and Trixie the chance they needed.  They crawled out of their prison and started to run.

Lucifer pounced on his brother, punching him with all his might several times across the face.  It stunned Michael, but only for a moment.  He struck back, punching his brother, then kicking him across the field.  There was an explosion of dirt as Lucifer was thrown into one of the gentle hills that surrounded them.  Michael was on him in an instant, kicking him in the face and trying to stomp on his chest.  Lucifer managed to grab this brother’s foot and throw him away.  Rising to his feet, he spit blood out of his mouth jumped on his brother.

They wrestled for long moments, until Michael broke away and soared off in flight.  Lucifer took off after him in pursuit.  Fear coursed through him as he saw what Michael’s target was -- Chloe and Trixie, who were running through the fields in an effort to escape.  Urging himself to go faster, he streamlined his body.  He had almost caught up to Michael when his brother reached out and grabbed Trixie by the back of her jacket.

“Trixie!” Chloe screamed as the girl was lifted upwards by the archangel.  A whoosh of wings swept past the detective as Lucifer flew by in hot pursuit.

Up toward the sky they flew, with Michael carrying Trixie like a rag doll by her jacket.  The archangel suddenly paused and turned, holding the girl up like a shield.  Lucifer came to a stop a short distance away, hovering.

“Don’t move unless you want the little human to die,” Michael said.

“Don’t hurt her.”  Lucifer looked at Trixie, trying to somehow convey to the little girl that everything was going to be all right.  The poor child looked terrified, with round eyes and a face pale with fear.  Unbeknownst to him, his face mirrored that of the little girl’s.

Michael laughed, a harsh, malicious sound.  “Why not, Brother?  If her death hurts you, I’m all for it.  It will serve you right, for stealing everything from me!”

“Steal?  What did I steal?!” cried Lucifer, as he threw his arms wide.

“Father made you his left hand!” Michael yelled, practically spitting at his brother.  “The greatest honor!  That honor should have been mine!”

“Do you think it’s something I wanted?” yelled back Lucifer.  “Do you think I wanted to be his bloody left hand?  Punishing people all the time?!  You think that was fun?”

“ _I_ should have been his left hand!  Do you know how much I suffered, always knowing that I was second best to you?” raged Michael, shaking Trixie for emphasis.

Lucifer swallowed hard and tried to reason with his brother.  “You got to be his bloody right hand -- that was far better than being his bloody left!”

“It was a job he gave me as a consolation prize.  Do you think I wanted to be a protector to these filthy slugs?!”

“Well you should have bloody well said something -- I would have given up the position willingly and you could have Fallen!”

Michael started laughing.  “I never would have Fallen, Brother.”

Lucifer’s brows drew together in puzzlement.  “What?”

The archangel shook his head.  “You Fell because I told Father you were rising up against him.  Ahhh, the satisfaction of seeing you Fall made up for some of the pain you caused me.”

Lucifer’s mind reeled.  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “You -- you framed me?  Your own brother?”  Disbelief swept through him, so strong that he almost couldn’t think straight.  “You set me up as the fall guy so that Dad could have his good/evil dichotomy?”

Chuckling, Michael shook his head.  “No, that was all Father.  He was in the process of selecting who should be the one for that job.  Your plea for everyone to have free will helped him decide, though.  I just happened to... hurry things along.”

Shock reverberated through Lucifer.  “Bloody hell -- what did you do?”

“Father never told anyone except me that you were his left hand, so a little word here and there to our brothers and sisters helped convince everyone how evil you were.  I started rumors of an insurrection.  It was easy.  Little did I know you’d help me out yourself with your stupid plea for free will.  It was easy to convince Father you were rising against him after that.”

Lucifer’s wings sagged as he realized that the brother he had once made the stars with had destroyed his life in Heaven.  He felt crushed.  For a moment he lost altitude, before pushing himself back up.  “You’re just like Father -- you manipulated everyone around you to get what you want....”

Michael laughed.  “Well, of course.  It is my name, after all.  ‘Like God.’”  He shook Trixie again like a doll, and Lucifer could see she was beginning to slip out of her jacket.  “I still can’t believe Father would put me in charge of these... creatures.”

Lucifer held up his hands.  “Look, Mike, don’t hurt her.  You can do whatever you want with me, but let her go.”

The blonde angel pulled the Sword of Heaven from its scabbard and said, “I want you to die.”

Lucifer closed his eyes briefly. There really was no choice for him, and the sacrifice would be worth it, so long as Trixie and Chloe were safe.  Taking a deep breath, he nodded.  “Very well -- but you must let these humans go free.  Set the girl down first.”

Michael smiled, as he raised his sword.  “No.  You die first.”

Trixie glanced with horror at the archangel holding her, then at the fallen angel before her.  “I won’t let you use me to kill Lucifer!” she yelled.  Before either of the angels could know what she intended, she wriggled out of her jacket and fell.

“Beatrice!” Lucifer yelled as he dove for her.

His heart pounding like a fierce thing, he flew harder and faster than he thought possible, catching up to her in no time.  Her face was set in stubborn lines -- it looked like she was prepared to meet her fate.  It tore at Lucifer’s heart that she would willingly sacrifice herself for him.

Reaching out, he pulled her close and hugged her tightly to him.  Her little arms wrapped around his neck in a death grip.  “I knew you’d save me,” she yelled over the roar of the wind.  He pushed his wings open and slowed them down, but Trixie could see over his shoulder and cried, “He’s coming with his sword!”

“Shite!” Lucifer banked and swooped upward once again.

“He’s gaining!”

“ _SHITE!_ ”

Lucifer knew he had to end this.  He had to get Trixie to safety and he had to stop his brother before either Trixie or Chloe ended up dead.  Losing either one of them was not an option.  Spotting the detective in the distance, he sped toward her.  He came in fast, pulling up at the last moment.  Skidding to a stop, he turned in a graceful half-circle around Chloe like an ice skater.

“Take her,” he said breathlessly as he quickly transferred his passenger to her mother.

“Lucifer --“ Chloe cried, but he was already gone, flying straight at his brother like an arrow.

As he sped toward his brother, Lucifer started pulling his lightbringer energy forward from inside himself, creating a glowing orb between his hands.  Maybe, with a little luck, he’d at least be able to take his brother by surprise and get the sword away from him.  Not knowing how the sword would react to his light, he hoped that he wasn’t going to end up destroying a huge chunk of Los Angeles.

Chloe and Trixie watched the two angels head toward each other in a head-on collision.  A huge explosion rocked the area when they collided, and a brilliant light split the sky open.  A shock concussion swept through the fields, and Chloe and Trixie were nearly knocked off their feet.  They watched, horrified, as the two angels were thrown in opposite directions.  The divine beings hit the ground hard, creating small craters where they impacted the earth.

Mother and daughter ran as fast as they could to where Lucifer had hit the ground.  He lay at the center of the crater in a tangle of feathers and limbs.  While Trixie stayed up top, Chloe scrambled down the depression, afraid of what she would find.  She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.  He was hot to the touch, almost burning, but he stirred.

Lucifer looked up at her, disoriented.  “D-Detective?”

She nodded vigorously.  “Don’t move.”

Shaking his head, Lucifer pulled himself unsteadily to his feet.  “N-no.  Have to finish this.”

Pain wracked through the fallen angel as he tried to spread his wings.  They hurt terribly -- bloody hell, everything hurt terribly -- and they sagged from fatigue.  There was no way he’d be able to use them for flight.  He forced himself to climb out of the crater, with Chloe helping to support him as best she could.

Once on flat land, he shrugged off Chloe and scanned the area.  The Sword of Heaven lay on the grass in the middle of the field.  Making a short detour, he staggered his way over to it.  He picked it up, but in his weakened state, it was heavier than he expected.  Dragging the tip along the ground, he headed toward Michael.

Chloe caught up with him and grabbed his arm.  “Lucifer, put the sword down.”

“I’m going to end this,” he growled as he kept walking, pulling her alongside him.

“No, Lucifer!  You’re not a killer.  Don’t do this.”

Whirling around on her, his eyes glowing red with fire, he snarled, “He tried to kill you!  He tried to kill Beatrice!”

Giving him a penetrating look, Chloe said, “Killing him won’t make things right.”

“No, but I’ll bloody feel better!” he raged, looking positively feral.

“Lucifer, no.  You’re not a killer.  Please.  Put it down.   _Please._ ”

Lucifer stood there, looking down at her, shaking with such hot rage that he was practically on fire.  The detective held her ground, holding his gaze unflinchingly.  A movement to the side caught his attention -- Trixie, watching with fear in her eyes.

That calmed him down.  He dropped the sword.

Slowly the fire left Lucifer, and he sagged.  Chloe caught him around his chest and helped support him until he found his feet again.  Nodding, he motioned for her to stay behind as he went to confront his brother.

It took a lot of effort, but Lucifer managed to crawl down to the angel, who lay barely conscious in his crater.

“Michael, you bloody bastard, wake up,” Lucifer rasped as he kicked the prone angel hard.

Blue eyes slowly opened to meet dark, angry ones.  Michael started to get up, but Lucifer held his sharp wing feathers against his neck.

“Don’t move or I will kill you.”

Michael spit up blood and laughed.  “Then why don’t you?  Father knows how much I hate you.  I’d kill you if I had the chance.  You and your human dogs.”

Lucifer was tempted.  Really, really tempted.

With a roar, he leaped on his brother and punched him hard across the face, then gave him a final kick in the ribs.  “Go back to Dad and tell him to leave us alone.  I’m keeping the sword in case anyone else gets any bloody bright ideas.  And so help me, Michael, if I ever see you again, I _will_ kill you.  Now sod off.”

Moving was such an effort, but he struggled as best he could out of the depression.  Chloe was there at the top to help him out.  When they looked back, Michael was gone.

Lucifer weaved a bit unsteadily as they walked.  Trying to pull his wings in, he found he couldn’t, so he let them drag on the ground in exhaustion.  The pain was overwhelming.  Darkness beckoned, and he gave into it willingly.

The last thing he heard before slipping into oblivion was Chloe and Trixie calling his name, as if from very far away.


	12. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to the best beta in the world, ScooterThyme! Thank you so much for all your hard work on this installment! You're awesome!

 

 

“When do you think Lucifer will wake up?”

“I don’t know, Monkey.  Soon, I hope.”

Voices were the first thing that came out of the dark fog.  They were distant at first, and slightly muffled, but gradually became clearer.  Then came the pain -- everywhere.  That should have been enough to pull him back into the darkness, but he resisted.  Sensation came next -- the feel of his face pressed up against something soft.  A pillow? A bed?  Was he lying on his side?  And his wings -- they felt like they were open.

What was the last thing that had happened?  He couldn’t remember.  Everything was a big blank.  Concentrating hard, he racked his brain.  Memory was slow to come, but eventually it all came back.  Michael.  The detective and her little spawn.  The Sword of Heaven.

A soft hand caressed his stubble-lined cheek.  It made him think of good things; his life hadn’t been happy, but the detective and her daughter certainly made up for everything he had been through.  Lucifer slowly opened his eyes.

Chloe looked down at him with concern.  No, with _love_.  Warmth filled his chest at the sight.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he answered back, his voice rough from exhaustion.

“How do you feel?”

“Bloody terrible.”

Lucifer raised his head a bit, looking around.  He was in Chloe’s bedroom, lying on his side on the edge of the bed with his wings splayed out behind him.  It must have been late, for the room was lit by a single lamp, and the world beyond the window was dark.  Chloe sat in a chair positioned by the bed.

“How did I get here?” he asked.

“Amenadiel.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his face into the pillow.  “Bloody hell, did he carry me like a baby in his arms again?”  Chloe’s chuckle had him looking at her with an indignant eye.  “Oh... bloody, bloody hell.  Please tell me no one was there to see.”

“Maze couldn’t stop laughing after she knew you were going to be okay.”

“My reputation is ruined.”

“Which may not be a bad thing, considering what your reputation is,” Chloe teased.  Lucifer chuckled.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, until he asked, “How are you?  And your tiny human?”

Chloe smiled.  “We are okay, thanks to you.  But you, on the other hand, are a mess.  Trixie’s pretty worried.”

At her words, Lucifer swung his feet over the side of the bed and hauled himself into a sitting position.  He still wore his trousers from earlier, he was glad to see.  He wouldn’t have minded being naked, but he knew how sensitive Chloe was with her little one running around.  Truth be told, he would have been more than happy to have the detective strip him down to nothing, but he preferred to be conscious for that event.  He looked himself over -- he was indeed a mess.  Black and blue bruises covered his torso, and he suspected his face looked just as bad.  His wings were still sore, but he folded them and willed them into being the least visible as possible.

“Your wings must be hard on your clothes, when you want to fly,” Chloe said as she handed Lucifer his shirt, which he took gratefully and slung on.

He shrugged.  “I have lost a few good suits, but they weren’t designed with winged beings in mind.”

“Maybe we should put you in a tunic, like in those Renaissance paintings,” she teased.

“Cheeky wench.  You are _not_ putting me in a bloody dress.”

She chuckled.  “Well, I do prefer you in a suit, myself.  You know, a nice-fitting suit _could_ be considered men’s lingerie.”

That brought a devilish light to his eyes and his old boyish grin as he buttoned up his shirt.  “Indeed, Detective?  Remind me to wear my finest whenever I’m around you.”

The smile soon faded, though, as he remembered the conversation he had with Michael when they were fighting.  His own brother had betrayed him; the thought hurt more than he thought it would.  It was bad enough that his father had used him shamelessly, but to be undermined by his own brother made things feel even bleaker.

A shadow must have crossed his face, for Chloe said, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Mm?  Ah.  Yes, fine.  Just... thinking.”

“About?”

He didn’t want to answer.  He didn’t even want to think about it, but he found himself saying, “Some things my brother said.”  He smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes.  “Nothing important, really.”

For a long moment, Chloe just studied him.  Finally, she said, “Well, if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

Lucifer gave her a grateful look.  Just then, the door opened and Trixie came running in.

“Lucifer!” she cried as she launched herself into his arms.  Laughing, he caught the little girl as she knocked him flat on his back onto the bed.  Chloe looked at the two of them with a smile.

“Hello, child.”

Trixie gave him a bear hug once they sat up again.  “Are you better now?”

“Much better, yes.”

She looked at his back.  “Where are your wings?”

“Put away for now,” he said.  Trixie looked crestfallen.

“Oh.  I was hoping you could give me a ride.  It would have been more fun earlier, but the bad angel was chasing us.”

Chloe looked horrified.  “Trixie!  Lucifer isn’t well, yet!”

The little girl looked up at her mother innocently.  “Oh, when he’s better, of course.”

“Of course,” Lucifer echoed, feeling warmth and happiness spread through him.  Then he remembered the fight with his brother, and turned to Trixie, suddenly serious.  “Listen, child, what you did earlier....  To willingly sacrifice yourself for me -- I don’t know how to... well, it’s just that no one’s ever....”

“You’re family,” Trixie said simply.  “You were going to do the same for me.”  She gave him a big grin.  “Besides, I knew you’d save me.”

Her words and blind faith in him took his breath away.  Family.  Is this what it was like having a family?  A real family who was supportive and loving?  He had never experienced anything like it.  His understanding of family was that it was nothing but deceit, betrayal and madness.  He didn’t know how to react.

His heart was full and bursting with emotion -- those pesky human emotions he didn’t understand that made him feel like he could conquer anything Heaven threw at him.  He gathered Trixie close, then pulled Chloe to him in a group hug.

This was his family.  Not any of the angels, his father in Heaven, or his mother in Hell.  This beautiful woman with her lovely child was his family.  If anything happened to them, he would be lost.

And that thought began to gnaw at him.  Michael had gone after Chloe and Trixie because of him.  What if all of the angels started targeting them to get to him?  They weren’t safe around him.  He’d have to get out of their lives, for their own safety.  But how would he ever give them up?  How would he ever live without them?

Lucifer held them tight and hoped he would have the strength to let them go when the time came... but not now.  He couldn’t let them go just yet.  He was greedy -- having found a real family at last, he wanted just a little more time.  He would love them with everything inside him for as long as he could, and make enough memories to last through the long, lonely eternity ahead.

 

___________________________________________________

 

On the heavenly plane, a beautiful palace gleamed silver in the sunlight.  Inside the edifice, a robed, gray-haired man with a trim beard sat on an intricately carved throne.  In front of him was a massive chess board with oversized stone pieces dotting it, which he studied diligently.  His son, Michael, approached quietly and bowed.

“Father, I have returned.  I tried to do as you asked, but....”

“What’s done, is done,” Yahweh said as he turned to the blonde angel.  “But you’ve lost the Sword of Heaven.”

Michael’s gaze fell to the floor.  “I am sorry, Father.”

“We shall get it back -- in time.”  The old man tapped his chin thoughtfully.  “Your brother has surprised me.  All the tests I have set forth for him have yielded results which have been... interesting.  But I believe my plan for Samael will not come to fruition unless we deal with the issue of the Decker human first....”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!! I really appreciate all of your really nice comments!
> 
> I'm sorry this finished open-ended, but don't worry -- I am working on a sequel! Please keep an eye open for it. I will post as soon as I finish writing it, hopefully in a couple of weeks (I write everything before posting). It will be posted as an independent story but part of a series (like Two Brothers was to The Morning Star).
> 
> Sapph89 had a great recommendation so that you won't miss the sequel. Click on the part of the information banner which reads "Carry On, Wayward Son." It will take you to a series page so that you can subscribe. That way you won't miss the next installment. (Thank you, Sapph89!)
> 
> Thank you all again! You are the best audience in the world and I'm honored that you've taken the time to read my work! Thank you!!


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